Estonian Music Days 2026 invites audiences to explore music as one of the oldest and most powerful forms of storytelling. This year’s festival theme is “Stories.” Estonia’s largest festival dedicated to premieres, Estonian Music Days (EMD), will take place from 11–19 April in Tallinn and Tartu. The festival’s artistic directors are Helena Tulve and Timo Steiner, with Märt-Matis Lill curating the Tartu programme.
“The Estonian word ‘lood’ (stories) has several different meanings, which hopefully form a field of tension in which we can experience which stories express what is important to us today, but also which old stories continue to speak to our time. At the same time, we can reflect on what the stories of our era are – a yardstick by which we may weigh the values that matter to us and their depth, or consider what tools we have to help us set our course,” explains Helena Tulve, elaborating on the festival theme.
“Music and words tell stories in many different ways. In addition to our own musicians and ensembles, guests from Ireland, Germany and Iceland will add colour to the festival. Several new encounters will also take place, for example the Estonian National Male Choir joining forces with the Ensemble of the Estonian Electronic Music Society, and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra appearing in Astra Irene Susi’s music theatre production. Stories will unfold in concert halls, clubs, school buildings, on city tours and beyond.”
The festival opens on 11 April in Tallinn with the Girls’ Choir Ellerhein, conducted by Ingrid Kõrvits, presenting new works by Mariliis Valkonen and Kristo Matson at St John’s Church, alongside music by Veljo Tormis, Arvo Pärt and Urmas Sisask. Later that day, the club Hall will host the more experimental concert-performance “The Birth of Light”, featuring the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra conducted by Erle Kont, staged by Astra Irene Susi. New works by Maria Rostovtseva, Liis Jürgens and Astra Irene Susi will receive their premieres. That same evening at the Estonia Concert Hall, the Estonian National Male Choir meets the Ensemble of the Estonian Electronic Music Society (EMA) under conductor Mikk Üleoja, with premieres of new works for male choir by Alisson Kruusmaa, Jonas Tarm and Georg Jakob Salumäe.
On 12 April, the Estonian Centre for Contemporary Music hosts the “Ulgu-Estonian Music Concert”, featuring Ulgu-Estonian music from different decades performed by the Centre’s ensembles. On the late evening of 15 April, Broken Frames Syndicate from Germany performs at the Chamber Hall of the Estonian National Opera with the programme “Hello Darkness”. A distinctive sonic and spatial experience will be created on 16 April when the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, together with Iceland’s Cantoque Ensemble, presents premieres of new works by Helena Tulve, Riho Esko Maimets and Hugi Guðmundsson at Tallinn’s St John’s Church, alongside Frank Martin’s rarely performed “Mass for Double Choir”.
On 17 April, a grand chapter of the festival is offered by the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Olari Elts. The programme includes a new work by Liisa Hirsch, Riho Esko Maimets’s Double Concerto, Erkki-Sven Tüür’s Violin Concerto No. 2 “Angel’s Share”, and Lepo Sumera’s Symphony No. 2. Soloists are Hans Christian Aavik, Heili Rosin-Leivategija and Sara d’Amico. At this concert, the LHV Award for New Composition will be presented.
Festival days also feature the string quartet M4GNET, performing new works by Anna-Margret Noorhani, Tatjana Kozlova-Johannes, Gregor Kulla and Madli Marje Gildemann. In addition, the programme includes a concert of student premieres by the EMTA Sinfonietta, as well as Ludensemble, performing new works by Marianna Liik, Elo Masing and Lauri Jõeleht, alongside music by Jüri Reinvere and Madli Marje Gildemann.
The second half of the festival takes place on 18–19 April in Tartu, where the final concert of the “Young Composer” competition will be held at Tubin Hall, and performances will be given by the Ireland-based Quiet Music Ensemble and the string quartet M4GNET. The closing concert at the Arvo Pärt Centre will lead listeners into meditative soundscapes with new works by Liisa Hõbepappel and Märt-Matis Lill.
This year, Estonian Music Days collaborates with Tallinn Music Week, with a shared concert day on 11 April. Two contrasting programmes will be presented: at 1 p.m., the Girls’ Choir Ellerhein performs at Tallinn’s St John’s Church under Ingrid Kõrvits, and at 3 p.m., the concert-performance “The Birth of Light” takes place at Club Hall, featuring the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra conducted by Erle Kont. Both concerts include premieres by several Estonian composers and highlight the cooperation between the two festivals in presenting contemporary and diverse music. The international music and city festival Tallinn Music Week brings together artists and music professionals from around the world and across genres – from experimental sounds to chart pop, dance beats to metal, and folk to classical music.
The Estonian Music Days programme is available on the festival website: eestimuusikapaevad.ee.
Tickets and festival passes can be purchased via Piletikeskus.