Chamber Music from Estonia

An ARVO PÄRT…and a Littlemore event

Pre-concert talk, 8.15pm
Fratres by Kristina Kõrver, Arvo Pärt Centre Musicologist

Duo Kits-Heinoja is a highly accomplished duo from Estonia, formed by prize-winning cellist Marcel Johannes Kits and pianist Sten Heinoja. Founded in 2013, the duo has quickly established itself as one of the most promising ensembles in Europe, performing in many countries around the world. This evening’s programme, with two famous works by Arvo Pärt at its core, places the composer in his native Estonian context. Heino Eller taught Pärt, Eduard Tubin and Lepo Sumera, while the younger Erkki Sven Tüür studied with Sumera, among others. Despite these pedagogical links, each composer developed his own distinctive musical voice. Britten’s evocative Cello Sonata adds a British element to this otherwise all-Estonian evening; when Britten died in 1976, Arvo Pärt was moved to write Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten. Pärt greatly admires Britten’s music, noting that it possesses the unusual purity Pärt himself seeks as a composer.

About the artists

Estonian cellist Marcel Johannes Kits is one of the most promising young cellists of his generation, having won the 3rd prize at the Queen Elisabeth Cello Competition and 1st prize at the George Enescu competition in Romania. He’s also the 1st prize winner at the Johannes Brahms competition in Austria and at the major competitions in Estonia (TV competition “Classical Stars” and National String Competition). His upcoming highlights this summer are a tour in Belgium with the Belgian National Orchestra under conductor Eivind Aadland and a tour in Estonia and South Korea with the Estonian Festival Orchestra under conductor Paavo Järvi.

Sten Heinoja’s  international career started in 2014 after winning the VIII Estonian Piano competition and starting his studies in London where he is currently based as a freelance pianist and chamber musician. Sten has appeared as a soloist with many orchestras including Novosibirsk Chamber orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Tel Aviv opera orchestra, Moscow Chamber Orchestra, FLSO, Estonian National Symphony orchestra etc. collaborating with conductors Andres Mustonen, Olari Elts, Alexey Ismirliev, Paavo Järvi, James Feddeck, Aldert Vermeulen and many others. His regular appearances in prestigious London venues like Wigmore Hall, Royal Albert Hall and Cadogan Hall have earned him critical acclaim.