Estonian Choir to Make U.S. Debut at CSUN

In the press releases announcing the first American tour of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, the words “Soviet Union” and “Russia” are never mentioned.

“People hear Estonia and they think right away of Russia, and that is not true,” said Tonu Kaljuste, conductor of the Estonian choir. He was speaking from his hotel room in Espoo, Finland, where the choir was making a recording. The group’s next stop is Southern California, where it will make its U.S. debut on Tuesday at Cal State Northridge.

“We are a different culture from Russia, a different language. I am glad we are coming so that people will know us better.”

Americans have already started to become much more familiar with Estonia, a Baltic state annexed by the Soviet Union after World War II. It is one of the several regions of the U.S.S.R. where strong independence movements have arisen.

“I am not a political person,” Kaljuste said, “but of course it is much better if we have independence. You understand that in 50 years since Russia took over the cultural life has been going down.”

The choir began as an amateur group in 1966 under the direction of Kaljuste’s father. The son took over in 1974 and made the choir professional in 1981 under the sponsorship of the Estonian Philharmonic Society, a government agency that supports several music groups in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia.

The choir’s sound is much more akin to groups in Western bloc countries than the exotic-sounding folk groups of Bulgaria and Latvia that have impressed Los Angeles audiences on recent visits. In its repertoire, the Estonia ensemble has music by Bach, Monteverdi and Mozart, in addition to folks songs and pieces by contemporary Estonian composers.

Hugh Davies, who produces concert tours for the London-based Associate Consultants for Education Abroad, first heard the choir when he was booking tour stops in Tallinn for American groups. “I started two years ago to work on bringing them to the United States,” said Davies, speaking from ACFEA’s Marin County office. “It seemed to me that a tour would give people a chance to hear a first-rate choir and learn something about Estonia. I have a lot of sympathy for their cause.”

Because CSUN’s Northridge Singers, which performed in Tallinn on a 1988 tour, got to know the Estonian choir, the university became a top priority on its U.S. schedule.

“It was one of the most memorable parts of the trip,” said Anne Bell, one of the Northridge Singers on the Estonian tour. “We met with them and at one point they started singing American folk songs and we sang along. It was so emotional.

“Everything was so unsure there back then and I guess it still is. But their director told us, ‘We are coming to visit you no matter what happens.’

“We are so excited that they finally made it.”

The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir will perform at CSUN’s Campus Theatre at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Tickets are $6 general, $4 seniors, $4 children under 12. For more information, call (818) 885-3093.