Tartu Academic Male Choir
Roland Viilukas
Roland Viilukas began his musical journey at the Heino Eller Music School in Tartu under the guidance of Lauri Breede. To date, Viilukas has earned a bachelor’s degree (under Professor Tõnu Kaljuste) and a master’s degree (under Professor Toomas Kapten) in choral conducting from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. In addition, he has furthered his studies in orchestral conducting under Professor Jüri Alperten, studied composition with Alo Põldmäe, and attended various masterclasses, including those led by Pablo Marqués Mestre (Conservatorio Superior de Música de Castilla-La Mancha Albacete, Spain) and Professor Toomas Kapten (Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre).
As a conductor, Viilukas has collaborated with several ensembles, including the mixed choir and orchestra of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, the chamber choir Collegium Musicale, the Estonian National Male Choir, the mixed choir HUIK!, among others.
Since the autumn of 2016, Roland Viilukas has also been singing in the Estonian National Male Choir.
Viilukas began his collaboration with the Tartu Academic Male Choir in the autumn of 2024.
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Made Ritsing
Made Ritsing graduated in 1988 from the Heino Eller Tartu Music School with a degree in choral conducting, where her teacher was Alo Ritsing. In 2004, she completed a bachelor’s degree in music education at the University of Tartu.
Since 2010, Made Ritsing has served as the chief conductor of the Tartu Male Choir of the Estonian Men’s Choral Society, and since 2011, she has also been a conductor of the Tartu Academic Male Choir.
In addition to her conducting work, Made Ritsing teaches solfeggio at the Ilmatsalu Music School and vocal studies at the Alatskivi School of Arts.
Former Conductors and Vocal Coaches
Kuno Kerge
Conductor of the male choir from 2017 to 2024
Kuno Kerge studied trumpet at Võru Music School from 2002 to 2008 under Helmut Kostabi. In 2011, he graduated from the Heino Eller Tartu Music School in choral conducting, studying under Alo Ritsing. Afterward, he enrolled in the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, where he studied choral conducting under Ants Soots and successfully completed his master’s degree in 2017. Since 2018, Kuno Kerge has been a lecturer in choral conducting at the Heino Eller Tartu Music School.
Kuno Kerge has conducted numerous ensembles. From 2011 to 2018, he was the conductor of the Estonian Forestry Workers’ Male Choir Forestalia. Between 2016 and 2018, he also conducted the Estonian Public Broadcasting Mixed Choir alongside Hirvo Surva. Since 2012, he assisted Alo Ritsing in conducting the Tartu Academic Male Choir and became the chief conductor in 2017. Additionally, since 2015, he has conducted the Virumaa Boys’ Choir (serving as chief conductor since 2016). He has also led the youth male choirs Ärkamisaeg in Võru and Tartu since 2016. Since 2018, Kuno Kerge has been a conductor of the Tallinn Boys’ Choir.
Professionally, Kuno Kerge has been involved in organizing and conducting several song festivals. He was the conductor of the boys’ choir at the 12th Youth Song Festival “Mina jään”, the artistic director of the 2018 Gaudeamus student song festival, and the conductor of the male choir at the 27th Estonian Song Celebration “Minu arm”. In 2016, he was awarded the Gustav Ernesaks Foundation Study Scholarship.
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Alo Ritsing
Conductor of the male choir from 1963 to 2017
1960 – Graduated from the University of Tartu (bibliography)
1963 – Graduated from Tartu Music School, teacher: Richard Ritsing (choral conducting)
1966 – Graduated from Tartu Music School, teacher: Alma Kurtna (singing)
1969 – Graduated from the Tallinn State Conservatory, teacher: Gustav Ernesaks (choral conducting)
Since 1966 – Lecturer in choral conducting at the Heino Eller Tartu Music School
1990–2000 – Professor of music at the University of Tartu
Since 2000 – Lecturer at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (distance education department)
Conducting positions:
• 1963 – Conductor of the Tartu Academic Male Choir, chief conductor from 1974 to 2017
• 1968–1991 – Chief conductor of the Vanemuine Mixed Choir
• 1990–2010 – Chief conductor of the Tartu Male Choir of the Estonian Men’s Choral Society
Honors and awards:
• 1982 – Honored Art Worker of the Estonian SSR
• 1988 – People’s Artist of the Estonian SSR
• 1991 – Conductor of the Year by the Estonian Men’s Choral Society
• 1996 – Annual award of the Estonian Cultural Endowment’s music endowment
• 2001 – Gustav Ernesaks Foundation’s main choral music scholarship
• 2001 – University of Tartu Rae Fund Award
• 2001 – Order of the White Star, Class III
• 2004 – Honorary Citizen of the City of Tartu
• 2005 – Folk Culture Endowment Award from the Cultural Endowment of Estonia
• 2005 – “Culture Bearer” title in the folk culture category, awarded by the City of Tartu
• 2006 – Golden Oak Branch of Tartu County
• 2009 – Annual Award of the Tartu Cultural Endowment
• 2012 – Conductor of the Year by the Estonian Choral Association
• 2016 – Lifetime Achievement Award from the Estonian Cultural Endowment’s music endowment
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Translated with the help of AI.
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