Virgo Veldi / Saxophone

The incredible charm and masterful playing of saxophonist Virgo Veldi makes him one of Estonias most well known and sought after artists. He obtained his BA and MA degree cum laude from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (EAMT, Prof. Olavi Kasemaa) and complemented his studies at the Sibelius Academy in Finland (2004, Pekka Savijoki). As a young musician he won many of the main prizes at Estonias most important competitions.

Virgo is an active freelance artist playing numerous chamber music concerts and recitals each year as well as solo performances with orchestras in Estonia and abroad (Estonian Radio Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, St. Petersburg Chamber Orchestra, Nyyd Ensemble) in collaboration with such renowned conductors as Risto Joost, Lauri Sirp, Mikk Murdvee, Olari Elts, Vello Pähn, Jüri Alperten and Nikolai Aleksejev. His ensemble partners include pianists Ralf Taal, Mati Mikalai, Kai Ratassepp, Piia Paemurru and Ivari Ilja, organists Ulla Krigul, Aare­Paul Lattik and Ines Maidre, harpist Tatjana Lepnurm, accordionist Jaak Lutsoja and many others.

Virgo Veldi has worked as saxophone teacher at the G. Ots Tallinn Music School and the Sibelius High School in Helsinki. Since 2001 he is teaching at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, from 2012 as Associate Professor, having given numerous master classes in different countries of Europe. From 1999 to 2004 he was a member and artistic director of the saxophone quartet “SaxEst”. 

Recent seasons have taken him on tour to Estonia, Italy, the UK and Sweden with the renowned Swedish based international string orchestra Camerata Nordica, playing a new commission by the Daniela Terranova and piece called “Prayer” written for him by the Estonian composer Galina Grigorjeva. 2018 takes him to the Virka Gallery in Helsinki, the Beethoven Festival in Warsaw and he returns to the EuropFest in Bucharest.