PROGRAMME

Robert Schumann (1810–1856)
Widmung / Dedication

Hugo Wolf (1860–1903)
Verborgenheit / Seclusion

Richard Strauss (1864–1949)
Du meines Herzens Krönelein / You, My Heart’s Little Crown

Jean Sibelius (1865–1957)
Svarta rosor / Black Roses
Demanten pa marssnön / Diamond on the March Snow

Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904)
Rusalka aaria Měsíčku na nebi hlubokém / Song to the Moon – from the opera Rusalka

Claude Debussy (1862–1918)
Pour le piano / For Piano, L 95
I Prélude
II Sarabande
III Toccata

Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924)
Chanson d´amour / Love Song

Jules Massenet (1842–1912)
Salome aaria Il est doux, il est bon / He is Gentle, He is Good – from the opera Hérodiade

Juhan Aavik (1884–1982)
Kojuigatsus / Homesickness

Mart Saar (1882–1963)
Latvade kõne / Speech of the Leaves

Paul Tammeveski (1898–1982)
Üksainus õis / A Single Flower

Ester Mägi (1922–2021)
Kuis võiksin magada? / When Could I Sleep?

Evald Vain (1915–1970)
Ei kunagi / Never

Valter Ojakäär (1923–2016)
Olematu laul / Nonexistent Song

Richard Strauss
Zueignung / Dedication

KRISTINA VÄHI has been recognized both as an opera, operetta, and musical soloist. She graduated from the Georg Ots Tallinn Music School (teacher M. Jõgeva) and the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (EMTA), earning both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in opera singing (teachers R. Airenne, prof. T. Novitšenko). Vähi furthered her studies at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague and participated in numerous masterclasses (E. Märtson, G. Kahry, C. Deutekom, R. Piernay, I. Kremling, J. Beckman, M. Pelo, M. Hauswalter). Vähi won first prize at the Klaudia Taev International Competition for Young Singers (1996). From 2006 to 2013, Vähi worked as a soloist at RO Estonia. She has also performed at Vanemuine Theatre and EMTA Opera Studio productions, at Kuressaare Opera Days, and has been invited to perform at various festivals and musicals organized by Smithbridge Productions and Vanemuine Theatre. Since 1997, she has been a soloist with the creative ensemble Operetta Scretta. Her roles include: Adina (Donizetti “L’elisir d’amore”), Baroness (Lortzing “Der Wildschütz”), Ännchen (Weber “Der Freischütz”), Oscar (Verdi “Un ballo in maschera”), Mozart roles Zerlina, First Lady, and Despina (“Don Giovanni,” “The Magic Flute,” “Così fan tutte”); Lucy, Monica, and Miss Pinkerton (Menotti: “The Telephone,” “The Medium,” “The Old Maid and the Thief”); Fanny and Clorinda (Rossini: “La cambiale di matrimonio,” “Cinderella”); Nedda (Leoncavallo “Pagliacci”), Ninetta (Prokofiev “The Love for Three Oranges”), Luise (Aints “Rehepapp”), Adele and Gagliari (Strauss “Die Fledermaus,” “Vienna Blood”), Lisa and Stasi (Kálmán “Countess Mariza,” “Silva”), Damon (Handel “Acis and Galatea”), Maria (Leigh “Man of La Mancha”), Soulgirl and Carlotta (Webber “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “The Phantom of the Opera”), among others. Currently, Vähi works as a freelance opera soloist. Kristina Vähi is a PLMF Foundation scholarship holder.

DIANA LIIV is an active pianist and chamber musician, as well as the artistic director of the concert agency Kammermuusikud. She graduated from Tallinn Music High School and EMTA in P. Lassmann’s piano class (Master’s degree in solo performance, 2011; Master’s cum laude in chamber music under M. Lohuaru, 2012). She furthered her studies with V. Rosenbaum at Longy School of Music in Boston (1995–1997) and at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki under H.-Y. Tawaststjerna (2007–2008). In addition, she studied at the St. Cecilia International School for Pianists in Bergamo under K. Bogino (2009–2013). Liiv has won awards including Best Ensemble at the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival in Finland for a Schumann piano quintet (2009), a diploma at one of the most prestigious international piano competitions, “Piano Competition Rome” (2010), and double laureate titles in both soloist and chamber music categories at the “Music Without Limits” International Competition in Druskininkai, Lithuania, where she performed with violinist Kristina Kriid (2010). Liiv has performed at major festivals and concert series in Lithuania, Sweden, USA, Finland, Netherlands, Russia, Italy, and France. As an orchestral soloist, she has performed with the Longy, Kaunas, Lexington, and TMKK Symphony Orchestras, as well as with the Tartu and Tallinn Chamber Orchestras. A special place in her repertoire is given to works by Estonian composers. She has premiered works by M.-M. Lille, T. Steiner, G. Grigorjeva, M. Maltis, M. Tally, J. Reinvere, and others. In addition to the above-mentioned composers, she has collaborated with H. Tulve, A. Pärt, and K. Saariaho. Liiv has made many concert and archive recordings for Estonian Radio’s Klassikaraadio. She has authored and published two music-pedagogical children’s books with CDs – “Neli heldet haldjat” (2005) and “Võluvitsa vägi” (2007). In 2014, a double CD “Heli ja keel – Variatio Delectat” featuring Estonian chamber music performed by Diana Liiv was released.

MARII HELEEN MATESEN studies in the 11th grade at MUBA. She began her piano studies at age six and a year later joined Tallinn Music High School in P. Habak’s piano class. From 2023–2025, Matesen also studied under Prof. P. Lassmann. Matesen has won several competitions in Estonia and abroad: 2026 GRAND PRIX, Inter-School Piano Students Competition, MUBA; 2025 2nd Prize, 1st International Ilze Graubina Piano Competition (Group B) and a special prize for Best Bach Performance; 2024 1st Prize, Inter-School Young Pianists Competition, Heino Eller Music School; 2024 3rd Prize, Scottish Youth Piano Competition; 2024 1st Prize, Inter-School Young Pianists Competition, MUBA; 2023 Tallinna Talent one-time scholarship, among others. Marii Heleen Matesen has participated in masterclasses with D. Joffe, L. Debargue, A. Shorri, S. Gerželj-Donaldson, N. Ashton, H.-Y. Liu-Tawaststjerna, and others.