To celebrate what would have been Veljo Tormis’ 95th birthday, the global Tormis 95 Singing Contest competition attracted an impressive number of participants — 90 collectives, choirs and solo performers from around the world took part.
The largest number of entries came from Estonia, but the competition also received high-quality submissions from Finland, Norway, Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, Taiwan, and the United States.
To participate, entrants were asked to submit a video of a performance featuring the music of Veljo Tormis. There were no restrictions, and the competition was open to all. The jury focused on emotional impact, delivery of the song’s meaning, vocal accuracy, technical skill, and originality and creativity in approach. Winners were selected by an international jury consisting of Taavi Esko (conductor), Jaagup Tormis (family representative), Mari Kalkun (singer), Sofia Söderberg, and Henrik Dahlgren (Svanholm Singers).
In the international choir category, the unanimous winner was the Junger Kammerchor Basel (Switzerland) with “Curse Upon Iron,” which the jury described as extraordinarily great. The prize will be accepted in Estonia by tenor Julian Schmidlin.
Second place went to the Taiwan Chamber Choir Müller for “Litany to Thunder” for an impressively strong performance. Maestra Meng-Hsien Peng will personally attend the Tormis 95 celebratory events in Estonia.
Third place was awarded to the French choir Mikrokosmos for their concert-performance “Saga of the People Without Armor / Tribute to Veljo Tormis,” which reflected their years-long deep connection to Tormis’ music. At Kõrveaia, the choir will be represented by manager Magali Cardeilhac.
Sofia Söderberg, conductor of the Svanholm Singers (Sweden), first encountered Tormis’s music around 25 years ago and met the composer soon afterward. “It has been a true joy to take part in the contest as the member of the jury to celebrate Tormis’s 95th birthday anniversary. Ninety different entries show how his music continues to live on, both among professionals and amateurs. Just as Veljo helped me and the Svanholm Singers flourish, I see how his music continues to inspire, uplift, and strengthen ensembles and choirs at every level. Together with all these choral singers, and thanks to Veljo’s music, the world has become a more beautiful place!”
The jury chose to separate the Estonian participants into professional and amateur choir categories, giving special recognition to the Estonian state representative choirs. Their performances displayed a profound and uplifting emotional sincerity, evoking a true sense of belonging through the combination of musical beauty and powerful interpretation:
● Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir “St. John’s Day Songs”(cond. Kaspars Putniņš)
● Estonian National Male Choir’s 80th Anniversary Concert with Girls’ Choir Ellerhein “Estonian Calendar Songs”
In the amateur choir category, first place was shared by the ETV Girls’ Choir with “Forging The Sampo” (cond. Aarne Saluveer) and Vox Populi’s production “When I, Little Chick, Was Growing Up” (cond. Janne Fridolin). The jury emphasized the importance of finding new and contemporary expressions for Tormis’ works, which these approaches offered.
Second place went to Mixed Choir Hannijöggi with the video “An Early Summer’s Fairytale” (conductor Mariell Aren).
Jaagup Tormis described the performance as sincere and personally moving: “It reminds me of my grandfather (Veljo Tormis), both his presence and how he sang when he was at his most genuine. Whether teaching others or simply carrying forward the spirit of regilaul by the midsummer fire, it contained something deeply real, which is also felt in Hannijöggi’s performance.”
Third place was awarded to composer Liis Jürgens in collaboration with the Baltic Sea Philharmonic for “The Dream of Tabu-Tabu” (cond. Kristjan Järvi), considered a truly impressive and large-scale project raising awareness of Estonian culture globally.
Special recognitions were given to Pluss Choir for the innovative symbiosis in the piece “Instructing the Newlyweds / Angel” (Veljo Tormis / Massive Attack), and to the David Pastor Quartet for improvisations on Tormis’ works during the International Trumpet Days Tallinn.
The jury additionally recognized: Collegium Musicale, Chamber Choir Encore, Estonian National Girls’ Choir “Leelo”, Tallinn Secondary School of Science Choir Studio, VOXpUNT, Estonian Academy of Sciences Women’s Choir, Dance duo Nele Reial & Kaupo Kreitsman, Kabujalake II Dance Troupe, NUKU Choir, Kaika Kuur, Estonian Public Broadcasting Mixed Choir and the Estonian Youth Mixed Choir.
The core of the contest was celebrating Veljo Tormis’ birthday, which remained the most important goal throughout the event. All participants stood out for their individuality and dedication, making the jury’s final decision difficult. We thank everyone who contributed to preserving Tormis’ creative legacy!
On August 7, a formal awards ceremony for the singing contest will be held at the composer’s birthplace in honor of Veljo Tormis’ birthday, along with a concert by the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir titled “Estonian Women’s Songs and Estonian Men’s Songs,” conducted by Tõnu Kaljuste. Additionally, Australian-Estonian composer Olev Muska’s unpublished manuscript “Kiri-uu” and the newly released album “New Estonian Waltzes” will be presented. Event info: link.
Most of the submitted videos are available on YouTube: Tormis 95: Singing Contest.
The Tormis 95 Singing Contest was organized by the Veljo Tormis Virtual Centre in cooperation with the Estonian Choral Association and cultural attachés.
Supporters: Estonian Ministry of Culture and Cultural Endowment, Kuusalu Parish, Kuusalu
Community Centre, Janne & Andres Nurja, Veljo Tormis Cultural Society NGO.
Sponsors: Tallinn Philharmonic, Go Hotel Shnelli, Metsamõisa Clean Water Theme Park – Priit Adler, Kuues Planeet.