Risto Joost is one of the most prominent and versatile conductors of his generation, pursuing an active career on concert and opera stages. As a musician with a wide horizon, his diverse repertoire spans from the Baroque era to contemporary music, often including new music premieres.

Risto Joost is the Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Vanemuine Theatre (since season 2020/2021), and a conductor at the Estonian National Opera (since 2009).

In season 2022/23, Joost will be conducting a number of prestigious orchestras, including the symphony orchestras of Flanders and Lahti, the South Netherlands Philharmonic, the Gulbenkian Orchestra in Portugal and the symphony orchestras of the Bavarian State Opera and Norrland Opera. The new season began with the world premiere of Estonian composer Tõnis Kaumann’s opera The Mall (“Kaubamaja”) at Joost’s home theatre, the Vanemuine Theatre, where he also premiered another new opera at the end of last season, namely Ardo Ran Varres’ The New Nick of Hellsbottom (“Põrgupõhja uus Vanapagan”). One of the highlights of this season is also the production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni at Kilden Opera, Norway, and a new production of Cyrano de Bergerac by Eino Tamberg at the Vanemuine Theatre.

As a sought-after guest conductor, Risto Joost has stood before many world-renowned collectives, such as the philharmonic orchestras of Helsinki, Tampere, Bergen, the Netherlands, Strasbourg, Brno and Dortmund; the orchestras of the Norwegian State Opera and Mariinsky Theatre; the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, etc. He has also conducted prestigious choirs, including the RIAS Kammerchor, Rundfunkchor Berlin, Swedish Radio Choir, Ars Nova Copenhagen, mixed choir Latvija and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. He was the Chief Conductor of the Netherlands Chamber Choir in the years 2011–2015 and the Artistic Director of MDR Leipzig Radio from 2015 to 2019. From 2013 to 2019 he was the Chief Conductor of the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and in the years 2018–2019 the Artistic Director of the Tallin Philharmonic and the Birgitta Festival.   

Risto Joost’s discography reflects a deep love for contemporary music and his records are often acclaimed by critics. His releases include three albums with the works of Arvo Pärt: Arvo Pärt (Globe 2012) and Pärt & Palestrina (Globe 2011) together with the Netherlands Chamber Choir and the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, and Pilgrim’s Song with chamber choir Voces Musicales (Estonian Public Broadcasting, 2009). He has also recorded three albums with the music of Tõnu Kõrvits, and this has played a significant role in Joost’s recent professional activity. For the record company Ondine, he recorded Hymns to the Nordic Lights (2020) and You Are Light and Morning / Sei la luce e il mattino (2020) with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, and Moorland Elegies (2017) with the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. In 2022, he premiered Kõrvits’ composition The Sound of Wings (“Tiibade hääl”), thus concluding the trilogy of major works he commissioned for the TCO and the EPCC. It will also be released under Ondine. In addition, he has recorded albums with the music of Peeter Vähi, René Eespere, Jean-Paul Dessy, Verdi, Wagner, Haydn, and others.

Risto Joost has studied choral and orchestra conducting, and also singing at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. He has furthered his studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna and obtained a Master’s degree from the Royal College of Music in Stockholm in the conducting class of Jorma Panula.

As a versatile musician, he has also been a singer and a singing teacher. As a countertenor, he has given concerts and sung in prestigious vocal ensembles such as the Theatre of Voices, Ars Nova Copenhagen and Vox Clamantis. With his ideas and energy, Joost has substantially shaped the Estonian music scene by founding new collectives – chamber choir Voces Musicales / Voces Tallinn, chamber orchestra Tallinn Sinfonietta / Glasperlenspiel Sinfonietta, and others. He has contributed significantly to the development of Estonian contemporary music by frequently commissioning, premiering and recording new works.

Risto Joost has received numerous awards and accolades. He is a laureate of the Jorma Panula and Nikolai Malko conducting competitions (2012 and 2015, respectively). He has received the Music Award of the Estonian Cultural Endowment twice (2006, 2015), and in 2011, he received the Young Cultural Figure Award of the Republic of Estonia. In 2018, the music editors of the Estonian Public Broadcasting chose him as the Musician of the Year for upholding and promoting high values in music. He received the prize of the Gustav Ernesaks Foundation in 2021 and the Music Award of the Estonian Theatre Union in 2022.

 

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ESTONIAN VERSION: 

Risto Joost on oma põlvkonna väljapaistvamaid ja mitmekülgsemaid dirigente, kes tegutseb aktiivselt nii ooperi- kui kontserdilavadel. Ta on avara pilguga muusik, kelle rikkalik repertuaar ulatub barokist nüüdismuusikani, hõlmates sageli ka uudisloomingu esiettekandeid.

Risto Joost on Vanemuise teatri muusikajuht ja peadirigent (hooajast 2020/21) ning Rahvusooper Estonia koosseisuline dirigent (alates 2009).

Hooaeg 2022/23 viib Joosti mitme nimeka orkestri ette, nende seas Flandria sümfooniaorkester, Lahti sümfooniaorkester, Lõuna-Hollandi filharmooniaorkester, Gulbenkiani orkester Portugalis ning Baieri Riigiooperi ja Norrlandi Ooperi sümfooniaorkester. Uue hooaja avalöögiks oli Tõnis Kaumanni ooperi “Kaubamaja” maailma esietendus Joosti koduteatris Vanemuises, kus ta möödunud hooaja lõpul tõi välja teisegi uudisooperi, Ardo Ran Varrese lavateose “Põrgupõhja uus Vanapagan”. Hooaja tähtsündmusteks on ka Mozarti “Don Giovanni” uuslavastus Norras Kildeni Ooperis ja Eino Tambergi “Cyrano de Bergeraci” uuslavastus Vanemuises.

Oodatud külalisdirigendina on Risto Joost seisnud paljude muusikamaailma nimekate kollektiivide ees, nagu Helsingi, Tampere, Bergeni, Madalmaade, Strasbourg’i, Brno ja Dortmundi filharmooniaorkestrid, Norra Rahvusooperi ja Peterburi Maria teatri orkester, Helsingi Linnaorkester, Läti Riiklik sümfooniaorkester, Lausanne’i kammerorkester, Madalmaade kammerorkester, ERSO jt. Samuti on ta juhatanud kõrgelt hinnatud koore, teiste seas RIAS kammerkoor, Berliini Raadio koor, Rootsi Raadio koor, Ars Nova Copenhagen, segakoor Latvija ja Eesti Filharmoonia Kammerkoor. Ta on olnud Madalmaade kammerkoori peadirigent 2011–2015 ning MDR Leipzigi Raadio koori kunstiline juht 2015–2019. Aastatel 2013–2019 oli ta Tallinna Kammerorkestri peadirigent ning 2018–2019 Tallinna Filharmoonia ja Birgitta Festivali kunstiline juht.

Risto Joosti diskograafias peegeldub sügav armastus nüüdismuusika vastu ning tema heliplaadid on sageli pälvinud kriitikute tunnustuse. Nende seas on kolm albumit Arvo Pärdi loominguga: autoriplaat (Globe, 2012) ja „Pärt & Palestrina“ (Globe, 2011) koos Madalmaade kammerkoori ja kammerorkestriga ning „Pilgrim’s Song“ kammerkooriga Voces Musicales (ERR, 2009). Samuti kolm albumit Tõnu Kõrvitsa muusikaga, millel on Joosti viimaste aastate loomingulises tegevuses olnud eriline roll: plaadifirmale Ondine on salvestatud „Hymns to the Nordic Lights“ Eesti Riikliku Sümfooniaorkestriga (2020), „You Are Light and Morning / Sei la luce e il mattino“ (2020) ja „Moorland Elegies“ (2017) koos Tallinna Kammerorkestri ja Eesti Filharmoonia Kammerkooriga. 2022. aastal tõi ta esiettekandele Kõrvitsa teose „Tiibade hääl”, mis on viimane osa Joosti poolt TKO-le ja EFK-le tellitud suurteoste triloogiast ning ilmub samuti Ondine’i märgi all. Salvestatud on veel heliplaadid Peeter Vähi, René Eespere, Jean-Paul Dessy, Verdi, Wagneri, Haydni jt muusikaga.

Risto Joost on õppinud koori- ja orkestridirigeerimist, samuti laulmist Eesti Muusika- ja Teatriakadeemias ning jätkanud õpinguid Viini Muusika- ja Esituskunstide Ülikoolis. Ta on lõpetanud magistriõpingud Stockholmi Kuninglikus Muusikakõrgkoolis Jorma Panula dirigeerimisklassis.

Mitmekülgse muusikuna on ta varasematel aastatel olnud tegev ka laulja ning lauluõpetajana. Väljapaistva kontratenorina on andnud soolokontserte ja laulnud nimekates vokaalansamblites, nagu Theatre of Voices, Ars Nova Copenhagen ja Vox Clamantis. Oma ideede ja energiaga on Joost kujundanud Eesti muusikaelu ka laiemalt, pannes aluse uutele kollektiividele, nagu kammerkoor Voces Musicales / Voces Tallinn, kammerorkester Tallinn Sinfonietta / Klaaspärlimäng Sinfonietta jt. Ta on andnud olulise panuse Eesti nüüdismuusika arengusse, olles heliloojate uudisloomingu sage tellija, esiettekandja ja salvestaja.

Risto Joost on pälvinud mitmeid auhindu ja tunnustusi. Ta on Jorma Panula (2012) ning Nikolai Malko (2015) nimelise dirigentide konkursi laureaat. Kahel korral on ta saanud Eesti Kultuurkapitali helikunsti sihtkapitali aastapreemia (2006, 2016) ning 2011. aastal Eesti Vabariigi noore kultuuritegelase preemia. 2018 valisid Eesti Rahvusringhäälingu muusikatoimetajad ta aasta muusikuks kõrgete väärtuste kandmise ja edasiandmise eest muusikas. Aastal 2021 pälvis Risto Joost Gustav Ernesaksa Fondi koorimuusika peastipendiumi ning 2022 Eesti Teatriliidu muusikapreemia.