Estonian Military Orchestra to mark anniversary with concerts in Viljandi and Tallinn

The Estonian Military Orchestra is preparing to celebrate two milestones at once: 108 years since the birth of Estonian military music and five years of operating as part of the Estonian War Museum. To mark the occasion, a concert will be held on 7 October at Viljandi's Pauluse Church, followed by a performance on 8 October at the Estonia Concert Hall in Tallinn.

Both concerts double as a gesture of solidarity with Ukraine. Major Lyubomir Sukennik, who heads the Military Music Center of the Ukrainian Navy's Armed Forces, will join as guest conductor. The program will feature works by Estonian composers alongside Ukrainian national music. Both evenings are charitable events, with proceeds from the Viljandi concert going to the NGO Sõdurilt Sõdurile, which supports Ukrainian frontline units mainly by supplying non-lethal equipment and medical supplies.

Samuel Jalakas, head of the Estonian Military Orchestra, described the past five years under the War Museum as an active period. While state ceremonies and official events make up the orchestra's daily routine, he said it was especially pleasing to give two public concerts this anniversary year to thank the audiences and supporters who have stayed loyal through difficult times. Jalakas also expressed satisfaction that Major Sukennik, from Odesa, could join the stage again, noting the successful cooperation they already had during jazz ensemble concerts in Tallinn this past spring.

The Ukrainian orchestra has been known to Estonian audiences since May 2022, when Tallinn first hosted Ukraine's largest classical music festival in exile. Concerts broadcast at the time on ETV and ETV2 prompted viewers to donate a combined 30,000 euros, half of which went specifically toward bulletproof vests for the orchestra's musicians. This spring, a smaller ensemble from the Ukrainian orchestra returned to Tallinn for a series of concerts and charity performances, again alongside the Estonian Military Orchestra.

Estonian military music traces its origins to the founding of the 1st Infantry Regiment's orchestra on 24 November 1918, a date now recognized as the Estonian Military Orchestra's birthday. Over more than a century, the ensemble has operated under several names, including those tied to the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Defense, the Tallinn Garrison Orchestra, and the Defense Forces Orchestra. Since 1 October 2021, it has carried its current name as part of the Estonian War Museum.