Andres Kaljuste

(conductor)

Andres Kaljuste is one of Estonia’s most versatile musicians. Whether as an orchestral conductor, concertmaster, chamber musician or contemporary jazz band member, Kaljuste is known for bringing a unique blend of clarity, passion and natural flow to a diverse range of musical styles. 

A regular guest conductor at the Estonian National Opera, Kaljuste has made ballet repertoire his main feature and continues this path in the 2025/26 season. Kaljuste was part of the creative team bringing out Jevgeni Grib’s and Alisson Kruusmaa’s new ballet “Light from the End of The World” and led performances including “Le Corsaire” and “Alice in Wonderland”, opening the 2024/25 season for the Estonian National Ballet. Current season highlights include conducting the final on the Classical Stars TV show with Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and a tour with Glasperlenspiel Sinfonietta and Hans Christian Aavik to Lithuania. He will also be making his debut with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir on tour to Argentina and Brazil. 

Since graduating from the Sibelius Academy orchestral conducting class in Finland, Andres Kaljuste has appeared with many major orchestras in the Nordic region including Helsinki Philharmonic, Lahti Sinfonia, Tampere Symphony Orchestra, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Aalborg Symphony Orchestra, Aarhus Symphony Orchestra and Odense Symphony Orchestra. Along the way Kaljuste has collaborated with distinguished musicians such as Arvo Pärt, Steven Isserlis, Sakari Oramo, Thomas Adès, Paavo Järvi, Mark Padmore and Tõnu Kõrvits. 

He appears frequently alongside pianist Sophia Rahman championing and commissioning music by his fellow Estonian composers including Pärt, Kõrvits and (Pärt’s teacher) Heino Eller. The Kaljuste/Rahman duo released their debut album in 2024 to critical acclaim, featuring premiere recordings of Eller’s works for violin and piano. 

Before taking up orchestral conducting studies Kaljuste trained as a violinist and violist, gaining valuable experience as a player in top London orchestras such as the Philharmonia and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and in mainland Europe with orchestras such as Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin and Helsinki Philharmonic where he acted as guest-principal viola for three seasons. A passionate educator and mentor, Kaljuste has taught at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, Lilla Akademien Stockholm, Heino Eller Music School and Tallinn School of Music and Ballet where he acted as Creative Director of Classical Studies between 2022 and 2024. 

www.andreskaljuste.com
 

Photo: Kaupo Kikkas