Role

:

Conductor

Genre

:

Concerto

 

 

Opera

 

 

Orchestral

 

Eri Klas was a renowned Estonian conductor who was born on June 7, 1939, in Tallinn, Estonia. He was born into a family of musicians, and his father was a well-known composer and conductor. Klas began his musical education at the Tallinn Music School, where he studied violin and piano. He later continued his studies at the Tallinn Conservatory, where he studied conducting under the tutelage of Roman Matsov. Klas began his professional career as a conductor in 1961, when he was appointed as the conductor of the Estonian National Opera. He quickly gained a reputation as a talented and innovative conductor, and he was soon invited to conduct orchestras and operas throughout Europe. In 1969, he was appointed as the principal conductor of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, a position he held for over a decade. During his tenure as the principal conductor of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Klas led the orchestra in numerous performances and recordings, many of which received critical acclaim. He also conducted several premieres of works by Estonian composers, including Arvo Pärt and Veljo Tormis. In 1981, Klas was appointed as the principal conductor of the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm, a position he held until 1996. During his time in Sweden, Klas continued to gain international recognition for his conducting, and he was invited to conduct orchestras and operas throughout Europe and the United States. One of Klas's most notable performances was his conducting of the opening concert of the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. He led the Norwegian Radio Orchestra in a performance of Edvard Grieg's "Peer Gynt Suite No. 1," which was broadcast to millions of viewers around the world. Klas was also a prolific recording artist, and he recorded over 100 albums throughout his career. Many of his recordings received critical acclaim, and he was awarded several prestigious awards for his recordings, including the Grand Prix du Disque and the Diapason d'Or. In addition to his work as a conductor, Klas was also a respected educator. He taught conducting at the Tallinn Conservatory and the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, and he was a frequent guest lecturer at universities and conservatories throughout Europe. Throughout his career, Klas received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to classical music. In 1997, he was awarded the Order of the White Star, one of Estonia's highest honors, for his contributions to Estonian culture. He was also awarded the Swedish Royal Order of the Polar Star and the Finnish Order of the Lion. Klas continued to conduct and record music until his death on February 26, 2016, at the age of 76. He was remembered as a talented and innovative conductor who made significant contributions to the world of classical music.

More....