Tallinn Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1993 by conductor Tõnu Kaljuste. In two decades it has become one of Estonia’s signature orchestras and a welcome guest performer on numerous stages in Europe and all over the world.
TCO has gained regard for its artistically integral programmes, style-sensitive play and mastery of interpretation, TCO’s musicians are highly rated string players, who also regularly perform as soloists and chamber musicians.
Tallinn Chamber Orchestra has a long-standing cooperation with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir – joint performances and recordings have gained international fame and recognition for both parties. In 1993, conducted by Tõnu Kaljuste they recorded Arvo Pärt’s “Te Deum” for the ECM record company. The record earned high ratings from the world’s leading music critics and remained for months in the top ten of record sales.
Tõnu Kaljuste was the orchestra’s chief conductor in 1993-1995 and 1996-2001. Juha Kangas 1995-1996 and artistic director in 2001-2003. The following decade was curated by Tallinn Philharmonic Society’s artistic director Eri Klas. Since autumn 2013 the chief conductor of TCO is Risto Joost.
John Storgårds, Pietari Inkinen, Okko Kamu, Jaakko Kuusisto, Richard Tognetti, Terje Tonnesen, Alexander Rudin, Florian Donderer, Dmitri Sitkovetski; also highly rated Estonian conductors like Olari Elts, Arvo Volmer, Kristjan Järvi and many others have conducted the orchestra as guest conductors.
TCO has performed in many music festivals - “MITO SettembreMusica” (Turin, 2004), the Budapest Autumn Festival (2005), Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli festival (Italy, 2007), Festival Cervantino (Mexico, 2012), Vale of Glamorgan Festival (Wales, 2015) etc. Concert tours have taken the orchestra to the USA, Canada, Japan, China, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Tunis and most European countries.
In 2013 Tallinn Chamber Orchestra received the Estonia Music Council’s Prize for Interpretation.
TCO participated on Arvo Pärt’s record “Adam’s Lament”, which won conductor Tõnu Kaljuste a Grammy in 2014.
Tõnu Kõrvits
The Sound of Wings
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
Tallinn Chamber Orchestra
Risto Joost, conductor
ODE 1417-2
Released 06/2023
Tõnu Kõrvits
You are Light and Morning (Sei la luce e il mattino)
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
Tallinn Chamber Orchestra
Risto Joost, conductor
ODE 1363-2
Released 10/2020
Tõnu Kõrvits
Moorland Elegies
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
Tallinn Chamber Orchestra
Risto Joost, conductor
ODE 1306-2
Released 04/2017
