About TÜSO
Foto: Kaupo Kikkas
With a history dating back to the 1930s, Tartu University Symphony Orchestra (TÜSO) was reborn in its current form in 2009. It is the first amateur adult orchestra in Estonia. The original orchestra’s activities were interrupted by World War II and later again due to its leaders graduating from university in the 1970s and 1980s. The 2009 rebirth was led by today’s current rector, Alar Karis, and head of NGO Tartu Students Club (MTÜ Tartu Üliõpilasmaja), Kulno Kungla. The orchestra is made up of university students and alumni, but also other amateur musicians who come from outside the university.
The orchestra plays classical music, film music, but has also played specially commissioned music. Every year TÜSO perform an advent concert in the lead-up to Christmas, and a spring concert, with various other exciting collaborations and projects in between. For example, TÜSO has performed several times in the Tartu City Days gala concert and in 2015 travelled to the World Expo in Milan to perform at the Estonian pavilion.
Ten seasons after reforming, TÜSO celebrated this special anniversary at the same time that the University of Tartu celebrated its own 100th anniversary as Estonia’s National University. As part of this, TÜSO had the honour of performing a specially commissioned piece by Pärt Uusberg for symphony orchestra and choir called “…ja tuulelaeval valgusest on aerud …”. In March of the same year, TÜSO performed live on Estonian Classical Radio. In addition to traditional orchestral concerts, TÜSO has also collaborated in other projects, for example with Tartu band X-Panda on their album “Reflections”.
While TÜSO calls the main hall of the University of Tartu home for rehearsals and regular seasonal concerts, TÜSO has performed across Estonia, for example at the Vanemuine concert hall in Tartu, Pärnu concert hall, Võru cultural centre, Jõgeva cultural centre, Tõrva church, not to mention the Estonia concert hall in Tallinn and Estonia’s main song festival stage in Tallinn too.
TÜSO has worked with various other musicians and collectives over the years. Soloists include Reigo Tamm, Tanel Joamets, Kärt Ruubel, Kädy Plaas, Maria Listra, Andreas Lend, Indrek Leivategija, Riivo Kallasmaa, Anna-Liisa Eller, and Sven-Sander Šeštakov, to name just a few. We have also had the privilege of performing premieres of various musical works, including those of Pärt Uusberg, Lauri Jõeleht, and an arrangement of well-known music by Sven Grünberg.
From 2009 to 2016, TÜSO’s head conductor was Lauri Sirp. Since 2016, TÜSO has been conducted by Taavi Kull.
TÜSO was created to inspire those of an academic nature to engage in music and add colour to the musical life of Tartu, and thanks goes to the University of Tartu and our neighbours, the Estonian University of Life Sciences, for supporting its activities.
History
TÜSO’s roots stretch back beyond World War II. In the 1930s, the concertmaster was V. Vadi. The orchestra consisted of many students at that time, as student corporations considered it a great honour to have their members in the orchestra. During the war, the orchestra ceased its activities and was restarted again in 1955 by Harald Keres. He worked hard to find players, and he organised instrument repairs and music lessons by Vanemuine musicians. In the 1950s, among others, the following people played in the orchestra: Alo Ritsing (cello), Harald Keres (flute), Kaljo Mitt (double bass).
Following World War II, the first conductors were Igor Graps (father of Gunnar Graps), and later Ago Russak, though the main conductor was Aadu Regi. TÜSO played to the public for the first time on 26th May 1956, performing a programme of classical music. On the next occasion, the music was more challenging – amongst other pieces, the orchestra played Beethoven’s piano concerto no. 5 with soloist Mall Sarv.
Some photos of TÜSO and a programme from a performance on 8th July 1956 have been preserved in the private collection of Alo Ritsing. This 8th July performance, under the guidance of Igor Graps, took place in a spot called Kassitoome, which is effectively a parkland amphitheatre in Tartu, as part of the Gaudeamus Song Festival. The orchestra accompanied a choir singing songs from Evald Aav’s opera “The Vikings”.
The orchestra slowly faded at the end of the 1950s, as Igor Graps moved to Latvia and many players graduated from university and left, while new members were hard to find.
In 2009, the rector Alar Karis and head of Tartu Students Club Kulno Kungla brought TÜSO back to life. Lauri Sirp was chosen as the head conductor and the orchestra played their first concert under him at the traditional annual ceremony at the university on 1st December that year. In its revived form, TÜSO plays a range of music from typical classical music to film music to Viennese waltzes to modern works written specially for the orchestra. The orchestra became an NGO in 2013, which has created various opportunities and has enabled orchestra members to contribute in other ways to orchestra life other than just playing an instrument.
