The 52nd annual New York Estonian Cultural Days will take place from April 4 to 7, offering its traditional fine smorgasbord of locally grown and imported direct-from-Estonia culture.
This year, the main focus will be on music, since music connects us even when all Estonian language lyrics might not be completely understood. This year’s list of performers includes Alika, who was voted Female Artist of the Year at the recent Estonian Music Awards and represented Estonia at last year’s Eurovision Song Contest; mezzo-soprano Monika-Evelin Liiv of the Finnish National Opera and London’s Covent Garden and folk musicians Celia Roose and Ants Johanson, along with Iti Teder from the Veljo Tormis Virtual Centre.
Eesti Draamateater will perform the play “Solist”, which portrays the story of Käbi Laretei. Kersti Kreismann, Estonia’s best young jazz pianist Kirje Karja and Märten Metsaviir (of the Apteeker Melchior film trilogy fame) will be on stage.
Lectures and exhibitions are cornerstones of kultuuripäevad and this spring Karen Jagodin, the director of Vabamu, the Museum of Occupations and Freedom will bring an exhibition of Estonia’s e-success story to New York. An exhibit of outstanding Estonian folk-inspired fashion, which has already traveled the world, will arrive with its curator, fashion designer Anu Hint. North Carolina’s (and Ida-Viru’s) own Anne Pärtna of Blue Hen Pottery will bring her art to the Big Apple, while Heilika and Ülo Pikkov, filmmakers from Tallinn spending the year in Rhode Island, will come bearing fresh film fare.
Vaba Eesti Sõna will celebrate its 75th anniversary with a conference, events for the upcoming 80th anniversary of the great flight to freedom out of Estonia will be introduced and representatives from the Global Estonian Youth Network will be organizing a NextGen Mixer and workshop, among other events.
This year’s pop-up restaurant “Tuul” hails from Muhu island. Stay tuned for more information here and at the event website www.estonianculture.org.
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