The Estonian Symphony Orchestras Association (ESOL) is a sub-union of Estonian string and symphony orchestras, which was founded in 1999 and was active for only a few years, organizing nationwide youth symphony orchestra days, festivals, concerts, etc. The union's activities were restored in 2010. In 2026, the union is made up of 27 actively operating youth symphony and string orchestras with more than 820 players.

ESOL organizes exciting and necessary projects aimed at Estonian youth orchestras. The Association's major goals in the near future are organizing the next festival in Rakvere, organizing the performance of the symphony orchestras at the 2028 Youth Song Festival and a large orchestral concert before the Song Festival, assisting in the activities of our youth orchestras, organizing joint concerts, a national orchestral forum, further training in conducting, and the activities of the alumni orchestra of music schools, promoting and creating a system for the study of orchestral instruments. ESOL's priority is also the introduction of broader and more systematic orchestral study in music schools, organizing festivals, concerts, seminar-study days and other events, exchanging repertoire between the Association, our orchestras' sheet music collections, and the sheet music collections of other orchestral associations in Europe, mediating information on international festivals, participating in international cooperation projects and orchestra festivals elsewhere in the world. ESOL has established 4 new youth symphony orchestras with more than 160 players (the national music school alumni symphony orchestra, the Narva Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Tallinn University Symphony Orchestra and the Livonian Youth Orchestra (Liivimaa Noorteorkester)). The ESOL sheet music collection contains over 1,800 works, more details can be viewed in the electronic catalogue.

The most important event of 2025 was the successful organisation of the XI Youth Symphony Orchestra Festival, where the orchestras gave concerts in their home schools and in Tallinn's cultural and shopping centres, and the final concert of the festival took place in the concert hall of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. That year, the foundation of a new national music school alumni symphony orchestra was also laid, with 60 young musicians aged 19-25. The XII ESOL Festival will be held in Rakvere in November 2026.

 

 

ABOUT THE HISTORY AND ACTIVITIES OF ESOL

The Estonian Symphony Orchestras Union (ESOL) is a sub-union of Estonian string, symphony and symphony orchestras. In 2026, the union includes 27 actively operating youth symphony and string orchestras with more than 820 players.

ESOL was founded on April 20, 1999. The founding meeting was attended by Pärnu City Orchestra, Põlva Symphony Orchestra, Narva City Orchestra, Järva County Symphony Orchestra, Virumaa Orchestra Society and the Estonian Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra. The union then operated for only a few years and organized nationwide youth orchestra days and adult amateur symphony orchestras, festivals and concerts.

In March 2010, the union's activities were resumed, but rather as a sub-union of youth orchestras. 12 orchestras immediately became members: the Tallinn Music School Symphony Orchestra, the Tartu I Music School Symphony Orchestra, the Tartu University Symphony Orchestra, the Viimsi Music School String Orchestra, the Viljandi Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Harju County String Orchestra, the Kose Music School alumni string orchestra “Pillipiigad”, the Kuusalu Arts School Orchestra, the Nõmme Music School Symphony Orchestra, the Paide Music School Symphony Orchestra, the Pärnu Music School String Orchestra and the Põltsamaa Music School Chamber Orchestra.

Since 2011, ESOL has organized everything related to symphony orchestras' participation in the song festival: repertoire, rehearsals, percussion rehearsals, auxiliary activities supporting the acquisition of repertoire and study camps. In addition, after the song festival, appreciation evenings have been organized for the conductors, teachers and organizers of symphony orchestras. In 2011, ESOL helped organize the performance of symphony orchestras at the 11th Youth Song Festival,  and the same will be done at the 2014, 2017, 2019, 2023 and 2025 Song Festivals.

On July 2, 2011, on the eve of the 11th Youth Song Festival, a very successful youth orchestra concert was organized at the Viru Keskus Katusekino, which is considered the 1st ESOL festival. The performances included the Tartu University Symphony Orchestra (conductor Lauri Sirp), the Mjölby Youth Wind Orchestra (Sweden/conductor Tomas Herrgårdh), the Tartu 1st Music School Symphony Orchestra (conductor Kaido Otsing) and the Põltsamaa Music School Chamber Orchestra together with the Eller Music School Youth Orchestra (conductor Hiie Taks).

In February 2012, the association organized a youth orchestra concert at the Mustpeade Maja (orchestras from Germany and Estonia). In addition, study days and information sessions for members of the association were held in Viljandi and Tallinn. In 2012, the Kuressaare Music School Symphony Orchestra and the All-Estonian Youth Symphony Orchestra (ÜENSO) became members of ESOL.

On April 21, 2013, the 2nd Youth Orchestra Festival was organized at the Geneva Center in Narva, where a 160-member joint orchestra performed in the final concert, under the direction of Jüri-Ruut Kanguri, performing the theme from E. Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance" march no. 1 and V. Kapp's Symphony no. 2, movement II (excerpt). As a result of this festival, the Narva Youth Symphony Orchestra began its activities under the leadership of ESOL. The festival was attended by the Nõmme Music School Symphony Orchestra (conductor Jüri-Ruut Kangur), the Tartu I Music School Symphony Orchestra (conductor Kaido Otsing), the Paide Music School Symphony Orchestra (conductor Raina Tammeriik), the Põltsamaa Music School Chamber Orchestra (conductor Hiie Taks), and students from Narva Music School, Narva Kreenholm Music School, and Sillamäe Music School.

Since 2013, performances by youth orchestras have been organized on Tallinn Town Hall Square as part of the Old Town Days. On June 5 and 7, 2013, the Põltsamaa Music School Chamber Orchestra, the Viimsi Music School Symphony Orchestra, the Kuusalu Arts School Symphony Orchestra, the Tallinn Music School Symphony Orchestra, and the Nõmme Music School Symphony Orchestra performed there.

In 2013, the Põlva Music School String Orchestra became a member of ESOL.
In September 2013, the Tallinn University Symphony Orchestra began its activities on the initiative and under the organization of ESOL, which today is a 40-member high-level concert collective with active activities, which has performed in Latvia, Lithuania, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Germany and elsewhere.

On November 24, 2013, the 3rd Orchestra Festival took place at the Valga Cultural and Hobby Center, with the aim of creating a regional orchestra in Valga County. Such an orchestra, called the Livonian Youth Orchestra, began its activities in January 2014 under the leadership of the association. In Valga, the string orchestra of the Põlva Music School (conductor Riivo Jõgi), the symphony orchestra of the Tallinn Music School (conductor Ott Kask, soloists Nikita Fatejev, Arete Teemets) and the Viljandi Youth Symphony Orchestra (conductor Harry Illak, Gunnar Mändmets, Tonio Tamra, soloist Eleryn Tiit, and the toddler choir of the Viljandi Music School participated. A 180-member joint orchestra also performed, with students and alumni from Valga, Valka, Antsla and Tõrva Music Schools also participating, and under the direction of J.-R. Kangur, the band performed Ü. Krigul's music from the adventure film "Malev" and E. Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance" theme from March No. 1.

On April 5, 2014, concerts were organized in cooperation with the Estonian Composers' Union on the opening day of the Estonian Music Days in shopping malls. The Tallinn University Symphony Orchestra performed in the atrium of the Solaris Centre, the Tallinn Music School Symphony Orchestra in the atrium of the Kristiine Centre, and the Nõmme Music School Symphony Orchestra in the atrium of the Viru Centre.

On May 31 and June 1, 2014, the Tallinn Music School Symphony Orchestra, the Viimsi Music School Symphony Orchestra, the Kuusalu Arts School Symphony Orchestra, the Põlva Music School String Orchestra, the Tallinn University Symphony Orchestra, and the Nõmme Music School Symphony Orchestra performed on the Tallinn Town Hall Square as part of the Old Town Days.

In 2014, the Tallinn University Symphony Orchestra, the Ülenurme Music School Chamber Orchestra, and the Narva Children's String Orchestra became members of ESOL.

In 2014, ESOL helped organize the performance of symphony orchestras at the general song festival in Tallinn and organized an international youth orchestra concert as the IV festival on the eve of the song festival on July 3 at the Viru Keskus Katusekino, where orchestras from Taiwan, Germany, South Africa and Estonia performed, as well as the Jungli Youth Orchestra (Taiwan/ dir. Joe Yamaji, soloists Ayako Ueda /soprano, Japan, Hideyuki Nishimura /bass, Japan), the Hillcrest High School Choir Singers (South Africa /conductor Judith Hawthorn), the Kaiserslautern County Wind Orchestra (Germany /dir. Jochen Lorenz), the Nõmme Music School Symphony Orchestra (dir. Jüri-Ruut Kangur) and the Põltsamaa Music School Chamber Orchestra (dir. Hiie Taks).

On November 16, 2014, the 5th ESOL Festival took place at the Pärnu Concert Hall with the participation of 8 orchestras, including the Tallinn University Symphony Orchestra (conductor Martin Sildos), Tartu University Symphony Orchestra (conductor Lauri Sirp), Pärnu Music School Orchestra (conductor Mati Uffert, soloist Villem Tiits), Tartu 1st Music School Symphony Orchestra (conductor Kaido Otsing, soloists Anni Ritson, Iris Eva Aabloo, Georg Orr, etc.), Tallinn Music School Symphony Orchestra (conductor Ott Kask, soloists Nikita Fatejev and Carmen Koov), Põlva Music School String Orchestra (conductor Riivo Jõgi), Nõmme Music School Symphony Orchestra (conductor Riivo Jõgi, soloist Priit Rusalepp), Ülenurme Music School Symphony Orchestra (conductor Birgit Kägu). In the festival finale, the 200-member joint orchestra performed Jean Sibelius's "Finlandia" very successfully under the conducting of Risto Joost.

In 2015, the G. Ots Music School Symphony Orchestra, the Haapsalu Music School Chamber Orchestra, the Livonian Youth Orchestra, the Lasnamäe Music School Symphony Orchestra, the Rapla Music School Symphony Orchestra, the Virumaa Youth Orchestra, the Old Town College String Orchestra and the Hiiumaa Symphony Orchestra (Kärdla Music School Symphony Orchestra) became members of ESOL.

On April 19, 2015, the 6th festival took place at the Paide Cultural Center, where the new work "Openings" by Pärt Uusberg, commissioned by ESOL, was premiered by a 140-member joint orchestra and conducted by Jüri-Ruut Kangur. The Tallinn Music School Symphony Orchestra (conductors Ott Kask and Katrin Talmar, soloist Triinu Piirsalu), Tartu University Symphony Orchestra (conductor Lauri Sirp), Harju County Youth Symphony Orchestra (conductor Hando Põldmäe), Harju County String Orchestra (conductor Sirly Illak-Oluvere), Põltsamaa Music School Chamber Orchestra (conductor Hiie Taks) and Paide Music School Symphony Orchestra in cooperation with students of Vändra Music School (conductor Arne Põder) participated in the festival. In 2015, a total of 12 youth orchestras gave concerts as part of the Tallinn Old Town Days on May 31 and June 1 and 6. The Tartu 1st Music School Symphony Orchestra and soloists, the Livonian Youth Orchestra and violin soloists, the Viimsi Music School Symphony Orchestra and soloists (performing excerpts from the musical "Sounding Music"), the Harju County String Orchestra, the Tallinn Music School Symphony Orchestra, the Lasnamäe Music School Symphony Orchestra, the Rapla Music School Symphony Orchestra, the Nõmme Music School Symphony Orchestra, the Põlva Music School String Orchestra and soloists, the Pärnu Music School String Orchestra, the Tallinn University Symphony Orchestra and soloists, and the Tallinn International Youth Orchestra performed. In 2016, ESOL members were actively mapped, when they met with orchestras, their conductors, and music school leaders in person to review the working conditions of the groups, learn about the problems, and how ESOL could help, etc.

The 7th Youth Orchestra Festival took place in Tallinn's Estonia Concert Hall on February 13, 2016. This time, 11 youth orchestras performed, and the finale of the marathon concert featured the program of the symphony orchestras from the 12th Youth Song Festival. The participants were the Nõmme Music School Symphony Orchestra (conductor Riivo Jõgi), the Tallinn Music School Symphony Orchestra (conductor Ott Kask), the Lasnamäe Music School Symphony Orchestra (conductor Jüri Schleifman), the Kose Music School alumni orchestra "Pillipiigad" (conductors Juta Helilaid, Angelika Kadarik, Glaire Helilaid-Ruben), the Kuusalu Arts School Symphony Orchestra (conductor Ott Kask), the Pärnu Music School String Orchestra (conductor Mati Uffert), the Harju County String Orchestra (conductor Hando Põldmäe), the Tallinn University Symphony Orchestra (conductors Martin Sildos and Jüri-Ruut Kangur), the Viljandi Youth Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Choir (conductor Riivo Jõgi) and the euphonium and saxophone players of the Viimsi Music School Symphony Orchestra, and as a guest from Latvia, the J. Medinš Riga 1st Music School Chamber Orchestra "Armonico" (conductor Normunds Dregis) In 2017, the Võru Music School Orchestra became a member of ESOL

On June 3 and 4, 2016, the Nõmme Music School Symphony Orchestra, the Livonian Youth Orchestra, the Viljandi Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the Lasnamäe Music School Symphony Orchestra performed at Tallinn Town Hall Square as part of the Old Town Days, as well as a combined orchestra formed by the orchestras of the Tallinn Music School, Kuusalu Arts School, and Viimsi Music School.

On March 13, 2017, a concert by the Nõmme Music School Symphony Orchestra was held at the Kärdla Cultural Center, which was known to be the first symphony orchestra concert in Hiiumaa.

On June 4, 2017, the Lasnamäe Music School Symphony Orchestra, the Nõmme Music School Symphony Orchestra, the Tallinn University Symphony Orchestra, the Tallinn Music School Symphony Orchestra, the Kuusalu Arts School Symphony Orchestra and the Viimsi Music School Symphony Orchestra performed at Tallinn Town Hall Square as part of the Old Town Days.

On November 3-4, 2017, the VIII Youth Orchestra Festival was held in Tartu with great success, with the largest number of participants so far – 17 orchestras with more than 600 players participated. There were a total of 15 concerts during the festival, 11 of which were given in Tartu schools and 3 in shopping centers. At the final concert of the festival at the Vanemuine Concert Hall, the 16 participating orchestras performed, mostly as a combined orchestra of 2-3 orchestras. In the finale of the concert, Rasmus Puur's new work "Selget südant" (Clear Heart) was premiered as a commission from ESOL, performed by the festival orchestra conducted by Normunds Dregis (Latvia). The Kuressaare Music School Symphony Orchestra (dir. Edoardo Narbona), Kuusalu Arts School Orchestra (dir. Ott Kask), Lasnamäe Music School Symphony Orchestra (dir. Hando Põldmäe), Livonia Youth Orchestra (dir. Jose Page and Anton Kogan), Nõmme Music School Symphony Orchestra (dir. Riivo Jõgi), Põltsamaa Music School Chamber Orchestra (dir. Hiie Taks), Põlva Music School String Orchestra (dir. Riivo Jõgi), Tallinn University Symphony Orchestra (dir. Martin Sildos and Jüri-Ruut Kangur), Tallinn Music School Symphony Orchestra (dir. Ott Kask), Tartu I Music School Symphony Orchestra (dir. Kaido Otsing), Tartu University Symphony Orchestra (dir. Taavi Kull), Viimsi Music School Symphony Orchestra (dir. Ott Kask), Viljandi Youth Symphony Orchestra (dir. Riivo Jõgi), Virumaa Youth Orchestra (dir. Toivo Peäske), the Old Town College of Education Music School String Orchestra (dir. Rasmus Puur) and the Võru Music School Symphony Orchestra (dir. Jaan Randvere). The first honorary members of ESOL were also awarded certificates at the festival, which were received by Eve Luha (first chairman and founder of ESOL in 1999) and Mati Uffert (long-time conductor of the Pärnu Music School String Orchestra).
On May 31, 2018, the Rapla Music School Symphony Orchestra, the Põltsamaa Music School Chamber Orchestra, the Lasnamäe Music School Jazz Band and the Tallinn Music School Symphony Orchestra performed on Tallinn Town Hall Square as part of the Old Town Days.

On May 31, 2019, the Harju County String Orchestra, the Tallinn Music School Symphony Orchestra and the VHK Music School String Orchestra performed on Tallinn Town Hall Square as part of the Old Town Days.

On November 8-9, 2019, the 9th Youth Orchestra Festival took place in Jõhvi, which also celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Estonian Symphony Orchestras Association. 5 school concerts took place at Kohtla-Nõmme School, Jõhvi Basic School, Kohtla-Järve Gymnasium, Kohtla-Järve Järve School and Jõhvi Gymnasium. At the final concert at the Jõhvi Concert Hall, all 13 participating orchestras performed as combined orchestras: Nõmme Music School Symphony Orchestra (dir. Riivo Jõgi), Tallinn Music School Symphony Orchestra (dir. Ott Kask and Katrin Talmar), Virumaa Youth Orchestra (dir. Toivo Peäske), Lasnamäe Music School Symphony Orchestra (dir. Imre Rohuväli), Põlva Music School String Orchestra (dir. Riivo Jõgi), VHK String Orchestra (dir. Rasmus Puur), Põltsamaa Music School Chamber Orchestra (dir. Hiie Taks), Võru Music School Orchestra (dir. Jaan Randvere), Harju County String Orchestra (dir. Imre Rohuväli), Kuressaare Music School Symphony Orchestra (dir. Eduardo Narbona), Viljandi Youth Symphony Orchestra (dir. Riivo Jõgi), Tartu University Symphony Orchestra (dir. Taavi Kull) and Tallinn University Symphony Orchestra. (dir. Martin Sildos). At the end of the concert, the festival orchestra performed Pärt Uusberg's work "Openings", commissioned by ESOL, again with the ESOL under the baton of Jüri-Ruut Kangur. ESOL honorary member certificates were awarded to Tonio Tamra and Jüri-Ruut Kangur.

On August 15, 2021, the Tallinn Music School Symphony Orchestra and the Harju County String Orchestra performed on Tallinn Town Hall Square as part of the Old Town Days.

In December 2021, the Harju County String Orchestra and the Tallinn University Symphony Orchestra performed at the youth orchestra concerts held in cooperation with the Estonian Museum of Architecture in the Rotermann Salt Warehouse.

On December 5, 2021, a joint Christmas Eve concert was held in cooperation with the Estonian Chamber Choirs Association and the Estonian Symphony Orchestras Association.

In 2022, the Tapa Music and Art School Symphony Orchestra and the Keila Music School Symphony Orchestra became members.

On June 4, 2022, the VHK Music School String Orchestra and the Harju County String Orchestra performed at Tallinn Town Hall Square as part of the Old Town Days.

The ESOL X Youth Orchestra Festival took place on November 12, 2023 in the new Viimsi "Artium" concert hall, where, in addition to performances by combined orchestras consisting of 2-3 orchestras and individual orchestras, the program of the symphony orchestras of the 2025 General Song Festival was also presented. 12 orchestras participated in the festival: Tartu I Music School Symphony Orchestra (conductors Kaido Otsing and Sander Tamm), Viimsi Music School String Orchestra (conductors Edmar Tuul), Tapa Music and Art School Symphony Orchestra (conductors Mart Aus), Livonia Youth Orchestra (conductors Jose Page and Anton Kogan), Rapla Music School Symphony Orchestra (conductors Jandra Puusepp and Maiken Mikk), Nõmme Music School Symphony Orchestra (conductors Riivo Jõgi), Tallinn Music School Symphony Orchestra (conductors Ott Kask and Katrin Talmar), Lasnamäe Music School Symphony Orchestra (conductors Imre Rohuväli), Võru Music School Orchestra (conductors Jaan Randvere), Harju County String Orchestra (conductors Imre Rohuväli), Kuressaare Music School Symphony Orchestra (conductors Eduardo Narbona) and Viljandi Youth Symphony Orchestra (conductors Imre Rohuväli).

In 2024, Toivo Peäske – conductor of the Virumaa Youth Orchestra and the Virumaa Chamber Orchestra and long-time director of the Rakvere Music School – was appointed an honorary member of ESOL.

In 2025, the Rakvere Music School Symphony Orchestra, the Kohtla-Järve Gymnasium Youth Orchestra and the Tallinn University of Technology Chamber Orchestra became members of ESOL.

In 2025, the honorary member certificate was presented to the long-time director of the Tartu I Music School and the conductor, pedagogue and organizer of the school's symphony orchestra, Kaido Otsing.

At the end of September 2025, ESOL launched a new nationwide symphony orchestra of music school alumni called Estlandia, which includes nearly 60 players.

The 11th Young Symphony Orchestra Festival took place on 14-16 November 2025, the largest ever held. A total of 21 orchestras with 700 musicians participated and 21 concerts were held: in schools in ten locations across Estonia, in shopping centres in Tallinn and Tartu, in cultural centres in Tallinn, and the final concert was in the large hall of the Estonian Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. The final concert featured 15 orchestras in 6 ensembles, in addition to the guest orchestra "Simfukai" from Lithuania and the festival orchestra conducted by Kristjan Järvi. The festival was attended by the Lasnamäe Music School Symphony Orchestra (conductor Imre Rohuväli), the Võru Music School Symphony Orchestra (conductor Jaan Randvere), the Viljandi Youth Symphony Orchestra (conductor Imre Rohuväli), the Nõmme Music School Symphony Orchestra (conductor Riivo Jõgi), the Tallinn Music School Symphony Orchestra (conductors Ott Kask and Albert Reinman), the Viimsi Music School String Orchestra (conductor Hando Põldmäe), the Rakvere Music School Symphony Orchestra, the Tapa Music and Art School Symphony Orchestra, the Paide Music School Symphony Orchestra (conductor of these 3 orchestras Mart Aus), the Harju County String Orchestra (conductors Viktor Kostjuk and Kaisa Roose) and its preparatory orchestra (conductor Tekla Tappo), the Tallinn University of Technology Chamber Orchestra (conductor Tarmo Kivisilla), the Põltsamaa Music School Chamber Orchestra (conductor Hiie Taks), the Keila Music School Symphony Orchestra. (conductor Liis Mäevälja), Kohtla-Järve Gymnasium Youth Orchestra (conductor Teno Kongi), Kuusalu Arts School Symphony Orchestra (conductor Ott Kask), Põlva Music School String Orchestra (conductor Riivo Jõgi) and Festival Orchestra (conductor Kristjan Järvi) and as a guest the B. Dvarionas Vilnius Music School Symphony Orchestra Simfukai (Lithuania, conductor Modestas Barkauskas). Elsewhere in Estonia, the Pärnu Music School String Orchestra (conductors Rein Vendla and Chris Sommer), the Livonian Youth Orchestra (conductor Jose Page) and the Tartu I Music School Symphony Orchestra (conductors Kaido Otsing and Tanel Aavakivi) together with the Täheviis Song Children and the Tartu I Music School Band.
On February 8, 2026, the ESOL General Assembly was held together with a conductors' forum, where the topic of orchestral education in music schools was discussed.

7.-8. In March 2026, the ESOL Youth Forum was held in Tartu, where over 30 young people from 15 orchestras participated.

On May 3, 2026, the Estlandia Symphony Orchestra gave its first full-length concert in Viimsi Artium. Before that, it performed at the Postimees Gallery on April 27.

In the spring of 2026, the Ida-Virumaa Youth Symphony Orchestra was founded under the leadership of ESOL. To date, a 100-member collective has been formed, in which students and alumni of 7 music schools in the county, as well as teachers, participate: The orchestra's first rehearsal will take place on September 12 in Narva.

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

ESOL has been a member of the European Orchestras Federation (EOFed) since 2010, and Jüri Ruut Kangur (ESOL Chairman 2010-2019 and from 2025) has also been the EOFed President since 2019.

The largest event of the association's activities so far was the 9th European Orchestras Festival, organized in Tallinn in the spring of 2012, in which over 700 amateur and youth orchestra musicians from 12 European countries and 26 orchestras participated. The festival included workshops led by experienced conductors and nine festival concerts, including a grand final concert in Tallinn's Freedom Square. The organization of this major international event received many words of praise from the participants and also attracted attention in the Estonian music scene. In cooperation with Eesti Kontsert and the organization Baltic Arts Workshop, the orchestras that participated in the festival also took part in a so-called follow-up tour in St. Petersburg and performances in representative halls there, including. Petersburg Philharmonic Hall.

In June 2015, 3 of our youth orchestras successfully participated in the 10th European Orchestra Festival in Cremona, Italy, with the support of ESOL, and concerts were also given at the Milan EXPO. Our orchestras have also participated in the European Orchestra Festival later – in 2018, the Võru Music School Orchestra participated in Bergen, Norway, in 2022, 4 Estonian orchestras participated in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, in 2025, the Põltsamaa Music School Chamber Orchestra participated in Avignon, France.

In 2016, more active cooperation began with other Baltic countries, and that year, 3 orchestras from Estonia participated in the Baltic Youth Orchestra Festival in Daugavpils, Latvia.

In February 2018, the Eurochestries International Congress was organized in Tallinn, where over 40 delegates from 12 countries around the world participated to discuss the movement of young symphony orchestras and issues related to festivals.

In April 2023, 2 of our orchestras participated in the Baltic Orchestras Festival in Vilnius, Lithuania.

In the summer of 2023, a concert of guest groups that participated in the Youth Song Festival was held in the Tallinn University auditorium, where the J. Medinš Riga 1st Music School Chamber Orchestra “Armonico” (Latvia), the Oulu Madetoja Music High School Symphony Orchestra (Finland) and the Tallinn Music School Symphony Orchestra performed.

In November 2023, a conference of Baltic Youth Orchestras was organized in Viimsi, and in March 2025, a youth conference of Baltic Youth Orchestras was organized in Pärnu.

In 2024, a very large Eurochestries Baltic Youth Symphony Orchestras Festival was held in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in cooperation with ESOL and other partners. 8 concerts took place in Estonia: in Tartu, the 2024 Capital of Culture, and also in Võru, Viljandi, Valga and Põlva. A total of 36 orchestras with 1,500 musicians participated in the festival, and there were 12 concerts in 3 countries. 14 Estonian orchestras participated in the festival (a total of 560 musicians). Our young people also played in the Baltic Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Many of our youth orchestras have participated in international festivals in Europe and elsewhere under the auspices of ESOL. Our musicians have participated individually in international orchestras, for example, 8 young Estonian musicians participated in the Eurochestries European Youth Orchestra project in France in April 2025 and 9 in April 2026. Estonian delegations have also participated in international conferences in Europe, thanks to the organization of ESOL, and since 2022, in the activities of the Eurochestries International Youth Committee.
In cooperation with Latvian colleagues, cooperation projects between Estonian and Latvian orchestras have taken place: the Põlva Music School Orchestra in 2015 in Latvia at their youth orchestra festival in Daugavpils, between the Kuressaare and Adaži orchestras in 2018 and 2019, and others.

A conference of conductors and youth of Baltic youth orchestras is planned for autumn 2026 in Latvia, and the next Eurochestries Baltic Youth Symphony Orchestra Festival is planned for April 2027.

GENERAL

ESOL annual awards have been presented since 2015. The first award for 2014 was given to Tonio Tamra. The following year, the award was given to Jüri-Ruut Kangur and the Tallinn University Symphony Orchestra. Other recipients of the annual award include Kaido Otsing (2016), Riivo Jõgi and Katrin Talmar (2017), Rasmus Puur and Tekla Tappo (2018), the Old Town College of Education Music School String Orchestra, the Nõmme Music School Symphony Orchestra and Juta Helilaid (2019), Tiina Pangsep, Reet Leinuste and Kristiina Roots (2020), Jaan Randvere, Juta Ross and Sirje Müller (2022), Hiie Taks and the Põlva Music School String Orchestra (2023), Viimsi Music School, the University of Tartu Symphony Orchestra and Kristo Joosep (2024), Imre Rohuväli, Kaisa Lõhmus and Marek Mere (2025), Sirje Rein, Tiina-Mai Arund and Lehti Saag (2026).

Starting in 2020, ESOL will issue a certificate of competence to our symphony orchestra, symphony orchestra, chamber orchestra and string orchestra conductors. 15 certificates were issued in 2020-2021, and 19 certificates in 2025.
ESOL has also collaborated with EAMT students ahead of the last Song Festivals, who have gone to places across Estonia as part of their pedagogical internship to teach repertoire to orchestras participating in the Song Festival, participated in Song Festival rehearsals and conducted group rehearsals.

ESOL has also organized further training in conducting ahead of the Song Festivals.

For several years, concerts of youth orchestras have been organized in collaboration with the Estonian National Broadcasting Company on Klassikaaraadio in the "Noorte stuudio" program, which began in 2020. In March 2025, 4 orchestras performed at the "Noorte stuudio".

In cooperation with other music organizations and the state, ESOL was also a participant in the project "Every Child Has an Instrument" in 2015-2018, and through this, many new instruments were purchased for symphony orchestras.

ESOL has its own website and also a sheet music collection with nearly 1,800 works, which can be viewed in the electronic catalog (in Estonian) https://orkestrid.ee/noodikogu/

ESOL general assemblies are held every year in winter or spring and have taken place in Viljandi, Viimsi and Tallinn. In addition to the general assembly, information sessions and meetings with guests have also taken place, where e.g. the chairman of the Estonian Authors' Association Kalev Rattus, composers Tõnu Kõrvits, Tauno Aints and Ülo Krigul, the leaders of the Latvian Orchestras Association, Tonio Tamra, Jüri-Ruut Kangur, Bert Langeler, Kristjan Nõlvak, who introduced digital sheet music programs, and others have performed. The last general assembly was held on February 8, 2026 in Tallinn.

The first chairman of ESOL was Eve Luha, from 2010 to 2019 the chairman was Jüri-Ruut Kangur, from 2019 to 2025 Edmar Tuul and from 2025 again Jüri-Ruut Kangur.

Since 2017, honorary member certificates have also been issued. The current honorary members are listed (in Estonian) here: https://orkestrid.ee/auliikmed/

ESOL Boards:

First Board 1999: Eve Luha, Mare Põld, Tarmo Vallist, Lembo
Pikkamäe, Jelena Laas

2010-2013: Jüri-Ruut Kangur, Hando Põldmäe, Ott Kask, Hiie Taks, Tanel Kadalipp

2013-2016: Jüri-Ruut Kangur, Hando Põldmäe, Ott Kask, Hiie Taks, Kristo Joosep

2016-2019: Jüri-Ruut Kangur, Hando Põldmäe, Ott Kas, Riivo Jõgi, Kristo Joosep

2019-2022: Edmar Tuul, Juta Ross, Ott Kask, Riivo Jõgi, Lehti Saag

2022-2025: Edmar Tuul, Juta Ross, Mart Aus, Lehti Saag, Martin Sildos
 

ESOL Board since 2025:

Jüri-Ruut Kangur – Chairman of the Board, President of the European Federation of Orchestras, Chief Conductor of ÜENSO

Hiie Taks – Conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of the Põltsamaa Music School

Mart Aus – Conductor of the symphony orchestras of the Rakvere, Tapa and Paide music schools, Director of the Rakvere Music School

Imre Rohuväli – Conductor of the Lasnamäe Music School Symphony Orchestra and the Viljandi Youth Symphony Orchestra

Matilde Kivisilla – Orchestrator of the Nõmme Music School Symphony Orchestra and the Tallinn University of Technology Chamber Orchestra

Lars Erik Lend – Orchestrator of the Lasnamäe Music School Symphony Orchestra and the Eller Symphony Orchestra

Viktor Kostjuk – Conductor of the Harju County String Orchestra

 

Tea Tuhkur, Marten Altrov, Mikk Uusmäe, 2014-2024 Janne Jakobson and since 2025 Lars Erik Lend have worked as ESOL assistants/secretaries.

 

Estonian Symphony Orchestras Association was founded in 1999 and reestablished in 2010

 

In 2012, the 9th European Orchestra Festival was organized in Tallinn

 

The Union includes 27 active youth symphony and string orchestras