The council of the Estonian National Opera has chosen the new General Manger, who is OTT MAATEN.
Ott Maaten shall begin on January 1st, 2021.
The head of the council, Mr Ivar Ilja says that Ott Maaten has a unique combined competence in finance and music. „He has higher education in music, experience working as a professional musician. He has worked for a long time as a director of finance and maintenance in the Estonian Academy of Music and Theater, also in the private sector. All this gives him necessary competence to manage a music theater.“
Ilja points out that Ott Maaten has also successfully managed several complicated building- and reconstruction projects. „In a situation where our more than century old national opera works in a building meant for drama performances and has a theater hall not best suited for giving musical performances, and the discussion for adding the building of a opera house to the list of building cultural objects of national importance has reignited, it is vital that the theater has a general manager who is capable of managing also building processes. I congratulate the new general manager and wish him all the best!“
Ott Maaten was born on July 05th, 1967 in Viljandi. He graduated Tallinn National Conservatory with specialty in clarinet (1989). He continued his education in Moscow, in the Gnessinite Russian Academy of Music (1989–1990) and in Paris Conservatory (1990–1992). From 1990–1993 Ott lived and worked as professional musician in France. Since 2003 he has worked in the Estonian Acadamy of Music and Theater as the director of finance and maintenance. He has managed the renovation of the Drama School of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theater, also the building of the new concert and theater hall of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theater, which opened in 2019.
In his spare time, Mr Maaten has engaged for a long time in aviation sports: his is 2014 Estonian Paramotor Champion and placed 14th during 2012 World Paramotor Championships . He is also active amateur ornithologist.
Ott Maaten speaks French, Russian, English, Finnish and German.
The new general manager starts on January 01st, 2021 and his contract has been concluded for 3 + 2 years.