PROGRAM

Georg Friedrich Händel (1685–1759)
-Duet He shall feed His flock – from the oratorio Messiah
-Aria Dove sei, amato bene / Where are you, beloved dear? – from the opera Rodelinda

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)
-Donna Anna’s aria Non mi dir / Do not tell me
-Donna Elvira’s aria Ah, chi mi dice mai / Ah, who can ever tell me
from the opera Don Giovanni
-Duet of Susanna and the Countess Sull’aria / On the breeze – from the opera Le nozze di Figaro / The Marriage of Figaro
-Monostatos’ aria
-Pamina’s aria
from the opera Die Zauberflöte / The Magic Flute

Henry Purcell (1659–1695)
-Dido’s lament When I am laid in earth – from the opera Dido and Aeneas

Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643)
-Duet Pur ti miro / I adore you – from the opera L’incoronazione di Poppea / The Coronation of Poppea

Henry Purcell (1659–1695)
-The Cold Genius’s aria What power art thou / What power are you – from the opera King Arthur

Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710–1736)
-Duet Inflammatus et accensus / Enkindled and aflame – from the mass Stabat Mater

Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924)
-Lauretta’s aria O mio babbino caro / Oh, my dear daddy – from the opera Gianni Schicchi

Franz Lehár (1870–1948)
-Giuditta’s aria – from the operetta Giuditta

Charles Gounod (1818–1893)
-Marguerite’s Jewel Aria Ah! je ris / Ah! I laugh – from the opera Faust

MARION MELNIK is a radiant opera soloist who graduated from the Sibelius Academy (class of Marjut Hannula, 2008) and has continued her studies in numerous masterclasses with distinguished opera singers, including G. Janowitz, U. Reinemann, R. Vignoles, L. Georgieva, S. Milnes, R. Hermann, T. Berganza, M. Gruzdeva, W. Vernocchi, F. Armiliato, and M. Camastra, among others. She has performed in Finland, Estonia, the USA, Japan, Russia, and elsewhere, with a wide-ranging repertoire spanning sacred and chamber music to musicals and opera. Melnik has achieved success in several competitions: finalist of the Pentti Koskimies Lied Competition with pianist Marko Hilpo (2003), youngest finalist of the Timo Mustakallio Competition (2004), recipient of the Schubert Prize at the Vienna Klassik-Mania Competition (2005), and second prize at the Lappeenranta Singing Competition (2006). She has performed for the Belgian royal family during President Tarja Halonen’s state visit to Belgium (2004) and at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki during the state visit of Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves (2006). Her operatic roles include Oscar (Un ballo in maschera, Verdi), Musetta and Mimì (La Bohème, Puccini), Despina (Così fan tutte, Mozart), Papagena (The Magic Flute, Mozart), Priestess (Aida, Verdi), Zerlina (Don Giovanni, Mozart), and Maria (West Side Story, Bernstein), among others. Melnik made her debut at both the Finnish National Opera and the Estonian National Opera in 2008, continuing as an engaged guest soloist at the Estonian National Opera until 2011. In Estonia, she has performed as a soloist with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra (ERSO) and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, and appeared at the Alion Baltic Music Festival, Tallinn Winter Festival, Virumaa Music Festival, and Birgitta Festival. She has collaborated with many distinguished conductors, including E. Klas, V. Pähn, J. Alperten, A. Volmer, M. Gertz, S. Mälkki, and A. Almila. Marion Melnik is a grantee of the Musician’s Fund PLMF.

LAURA-RETTI LAOS graduated in 2019 from the Georg Ots Tallinn Music College, majoring in classical singing (class of Eha Pärg), and continues her studies at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (class of Taavi Tampuu). She has successfully participated in national and international competitions, masterclasses, and concerts. Her achievements include: 3rd prize at the “Võluhääl 2016” competition in Orissaare; 3rd prize at the Inter-School Competition (2017); 1st prize at the International Competition for Young Vocalists “Viru Opera 2017” in Kohtla-Järve; 3rd prize at the International Competition for Young Singers “Baltic Amber 2018” in Liepāja; 1st prize at the International Competition for Young Singers “Daleki Akordi 2018” in Split, Croatia. In 2018, she took part in a masterclass with Professor Mario Diaz at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, and later that summer participated in the Internationale Sommerakademie at the same institution (class of Professor Michèle Crider). Laos has performed as a soloist with the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, at the Haapsalu Early Music Festival, the Saaremaa Opera Days, and has sung the soprano choral part in Handel’s Messiah with the ensemble Voces Tallinn. In 2022, Laura-Retti Laos made her operatic debut in Saaremaa in the family opera The Magic Flute, performing the role of Pamina.

IVO POSTI first studied history at the University of Tartu before beginning his vocal studies in 1996 at the Heino Eller Tartu Music College (class of Aino Kõiv). From 2001, he continued his education at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, studying with Rita Dams and Barbara Pearson. He has taken further training with Marius van Altena and Diane Forlano and attended masterclasses with T. Valjakka, T. Wiedenhofer, M. Chance, and J. Feldman. Posti has won numerous competitions both as a pop and opera singer and has performed widely across Europe. He has collaborated with many orchestras and ensembles. From 2007–2008, he worked at Opera Studio Nederland. His notable roles include the Spirit in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas at the Aix-en-Provence Festival (2008), Grazia in Cavalli’s Ercole Amante at De Nederlandse Opera (2009), Vjazemskaya and Sharik in Raskatov’s A Dog’s Heart at its world premiere at De Nederlandse Opera (2010), and Prince Orlofsky in Strauss’s operetta Die Fledermaus in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany (2011), among others. In 2016, Posti was a recipient of a scholarship from the Estonian National Association of Performing Artists. He is also active as a producer and voice teacher.

PIIA PAEMURRU is one of Estonia’s most highly regarded collaborative pianists, particularly known for her work with opera singers such as V. Noreika, J. Ryhänen, M. Voites, M. Palm, P. Lill, A. Saal, R. Soom, P. Volmer, H. Lokuta, A. Mikk, K. Vähi, O. Kuusik, M. Listra, K. Puis, P. Jonas, D. Savinova, M. Veretenina, A. Pillak, T. Dede, K. Jürgens, S. Laagus, A. Soode, A. Karp, S. Breede, T. Nugis, R. Raalik, P. Balakin, R. Kull, R. Tamm, and many others. Her concert activity has also brought her together with distinguished instrumentalists such as P. Paemurru, M. Tampere-Bezrodny, A. Lend, A. Tammesalu, and V. Veldi. Paemurru earned her master’s degree from the Tallinn Conservatoire under Professor Laine Mets (1999) and has worked since 1986 as a vocal accompanist at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. She has participated as répétiteur in numerous masterclasses and auditions of the Bavarian Opera Academy in Germany. Paemurru has received multiple awards for best accompanist at vocal competitions, including five times at the International Klaudia Taev Singing Competition. Since 2016, she has worked as répétiteur at the Vanemuine Theatre. Piia Paemurru is a grantee of the Musician’s Fund PLMF.