Classical Hugs Summer Academy in Tallinn, Estonia ~ July 14 - 27, 2025

June 25 - final application deadline.  
Orchestral Academy - scholarship requests, please email to classicalhugs@gmail.com. 

About

Member of the FestivalsFinder.eu by the European Festivals Association, 11th Classical Hugs International Music Festival is a critically acclaimed annual music event in Estonia. The festival explores cross-cultural and musical connections between Estonia and countries of Western Europe, Asia, The United States, and South America. Each year, the festival presents orchestral, chamber, and solo concerts at the most prestigious Estonian venues: Estonia Concert Hall, Tartu's Vanemuise Theater, House of Blackheads, and Narva's Geneva Keskus. Festival concerts also take place in Latvia, Lithuania, and Finland. The festival also presents masterclasses in piano, violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, French horn, trombone, and percussion by world-class musicians from Estonia, the United States, England, Germany, China, Poland, and other countries. The Festival's Artistic Director is Michael Bulychev-Okser (USA).

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Cultural Message and Mission

A hug is a simple expression of human warmth. A Classical Hug is an expression of an affectionate feeling through music.

The festival's mission is to demonstrate how music can bring love and peace worldwide. 

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History: Then and Now

Since 2014, the Classical Hugs International Music Festival has presented concerts by the world's most acclaimed classical music artists: violinists Shlomo Mintz and Albert Markov, pianists Daniel Pollack, Mikhail Voskresensky, and Andreas Froelich, violists Paul Neubauer and Marco Miscagnia, cellist Raphael Wallfisch, and flutist Rita D'Arcangelo. Each summer, Classical Hugs Academy attracts students from over 50 countries to study with eminent musicians: pianists Olga Kern, Dmitri Alexeev, Piotr Paleczny, Grigory Gruzman, John O'Conor, violinists Shlomo Mintz, Pierre Amoyal, Pavel Vernikov, Boris Garlitksy, Felix Andrievsky, Lewis Kaplan, Michael Vaiman, Cho-Liang Lin, and Boris Vayner, violists Hartmut Rohde, Wilfried Strehle, Paul Neubauer, Alexander Zemtsov, and Isabel Villanueva, cellists Colin Carr, Raphael Wallfisch, and Maria Kliegel.  

The festival also presented specialty orchestral masterclasses with the Co-Leader of the London Symphonic Orchestra, Carmine Lauri (2023), and the principal violinist of the Royal Opera - Covent Garden, Sergey Levitin (2022).

Festival 2017 presented the Opera Gala with Singers from 10 Major European Theaters performing on the summer stage in Presidential Kadriorg Park.  Festival 2023 featured a concert tour in 4 Estonian cities: Tallinn, Tartu, Pärnu, and Narva. 6 concerts featured 3 orchestras, 4 conductors, and soloists from Germany, the United States, England, Japan, China, Denmark, and Albania. The 2024 edition presented masterclasses for all instruments with Professors from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, China, and Estonia as well as 11 sold-out Gala Concerts in various locations in Tallinn, Tartu, Kohtla-Järve, and Helsinki. Participants came from 32 countries. 

Masterclasses-2025 will be offered by world-class musicians: pianists Gülsin Onay (Turkey) and Dmitri Alexeev (U.K.), violinist Pierre Amoyal (France), violist Wilfried Strehle (Germany), etc. For details, please see, Professors section below.  

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Concerts-2025

Festival concerts-2025 will take place in 3 Estonian cities of Tartu, Tallinn, Kohtla-Järve as well as in Riga, Latvia and in Helsinki, Finland. Students will be offered performance opportunities in several prestigious halls, including the Town Hall, History Museum, Jaani Church (Tallinn), Vanemuise Hall (Tartu), Maritime Museum in Riga, Latvia and the Suomelinna Church in Helsinki, Finland. Students can perform solo repertoire (strings performing with piano accompanist), as part of a preformed chamber group, or as part of the Classical Hugs Orchestra. Festival deserves the right to use publication materials submitted by participants, to advertise festival concerts. 

Selected students will also receive an opportunity to perform a solo with the festival orchestra - see below.

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Perform with orchestra

Classical Hugs Music Festival-2025 will present 3 orchestral concerts with soloists. Selected students can sign up to perform solo with Classical Hugs Orchestra and receive multi-camera recordings of their performance - this opportunity is open during the festival and throughout the year.

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Classical Hugs International Orchestra

Classical Hugs International Orchestra was formed in 2022. The orchestra features musicians from various orchestras from Estonia, Latvia, Germany, Finland, England and selected virtuoso students, which contributes to the top quality of the ensemble. In 2025, Classical Hugs orchestra will be led by Estonian conductors Anatoli Schura (Tallinn) and Lylian Kaiv (Tartu), and Guest VIP conductors: Maestra Chaerin Kim (South Korea/USA), and Rui Miguel Marques (Portugal, Assistant Conductor - Stavanger Symphony). Orchestra repertoire will include Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2, Mendelssohn's Violin in e minor, Saint-Saens's Piano Concerto No. 5, and other works. The festival 2025 will also feature specialty orchestra masterclasses with Sergei Tiutiunik, leading section violinist of the Kymi Sinfonietta (Finland), cellist Tatiana Gashimova (Pärnu Symphony), double bassist Denis Kotsarenko (Narva Symphony), and others.  

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Masterclasses - periods & costs

1 week: €549

3 lessons + 1 open masterclass participation + 1 students' concert participation + 2 chamber music lessons

10 days: €699

4 lessons + 2 open masterclass participation + 2 students' concert participation + 1 orchestra concert participation (Strings, Winds and Brass students only. Pianists can only perform as soloists).

Full Program: €1,549 - July 14-27

8 lessons + 3 open masterclass participation + Participation in all concerts in 5 cities, including Helsinki & Riga.

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Masterclasses program includes:

- Lessons with Professors

- ⁠Students Concerts in Tallinn - solo with accompanist 

- ⁠Students’ Trips with concert to Helsinki (Finland), Riga (Latvia) + 2 Estonian cities of Tartu & Kohtla-Järve. 

- ⁠Chamber Music (not considered the main core of the program, but only as a free addition to lessons and masterclasses).

-Orchestra Mastery with conductors & section leaders from Stavanger Symphony (Norway), Estonian National Orchestra, Vanemuine Orchestra (Tartu), Tchaikovsky Camerata (London) + other top orchestras.

- ⁠Possibility to play Solo with Classical Hugs Symphony Orchestra -see Solo with Orchestra Program below.

- Free observation of all masterclasses and concerts by festival professors and guest artists.

- ⁠Ferry trip, overlooking Baltic Sea (cost of ferry tickets is covered by participants).  

- ⁠Practicing ours, rehearsal hours, assistance with finding affordable accommodation (3 options offered). 

- ⁠Diplomas 

- ⁠All festival concerts & some masterclasses are recorded by several Cameras with professional sound. 

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Orchestra/Chamber Music program - any number of days July 14-27

1 week - €350

The program is open to all orchestral instruments, except piano:

Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon,

French Horn, Trumpets, Trombone, English Horn, Timpani, Harp.

Program includes:

- Up to 6 orchestra rehearsals as part of the Classical Hugs International Orchestra.

- Participation in all 3 orchestral concerts in various cities.

- 1 Orchestra Audition simulation with Excerpts prepared - detailed feedback and coaching will be offered.

 Excerpts: 1 technical selection, 1 lyrical selection, 1 work for sightreading. 

-Orchestra Mastery with conductors & section leaders from Stavanger Symphony (Norway), Estonian National Orchestra, Vanemuine Orchetsra (Tartu), Tchaikovsky Camerata (London) (Narva Symphony) + other orchestras. 

- Chamber Music (not considered a core part of the Orchestra program), but only as an addition to the program. 

- Bus & Ferry trips to Tartu, Kohtla-Järve, Riga & Helsinki (Trips within Estonia are paid by the festival, while trips outside Estonia are paid by festival participants). ​

 

Solo with Orchestra Program

Open to all instruments.

Costs*

€599 - one movement

€699 - Concert piece (e.g., Ravel's Tzigane)

€799 - two movements

€1,399 - Full Concerto.

Program includes:

- Performance of a concerto with Classical Hugs Chamber Orchestra.

- 1 Orchestral rehearsal + 1 Dress Rehearsal with orchestra

- 1 Session with the conductor of your choice: Anatoli Schura or Maestri Lilyan Kaiv or Chaerin Kim or Rui Marques.

- 1 Lesson on a concerto with a professor of your choice.

- Multi-angle professional video + audio recording of your performance - 4 cameras + 32 microphones. 

* Additional instruments may add to the cost of a concerto performance. 

Chamber Music. 

Students of all instruments will have the opportunity to perform as part of chamber ensembles. Festival participants will receive light coaching from Professors, including Miriam Davis, Chaerin Kim, Michael Bulychev-Okser, and other faculty. Students will be divided into ensemble groups such as Trios, Quartets, Quintets, Sextets, or larger groups. Examples of chamber music works may include Quintets by Dvorak, Schumann, or Faure; Prokofiev's Variations on a Hebrew Theme (Sextet with Clarinet), an Octet by Schubert or Mendelssohn, or larger works such as Tchaikovsky's Souvenir of Florence or Metamorphosis by R. Strauss. The festival is not responsible for preparation of students for chamber ensembles, missed rehearsals, lessons and such; groups who are not prepared beforehand will not be performing as part of the festivals' concerts.

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Facilities

Classical Hugs masterclasses, rehearsals, and chamber music will be held at different facilities in Tallinn, Estonia. All facilities are conveniently located in Tallinn's historic Old Town, including the House of Blackheads, the Pink Building, the Tallinn Town Hall, and the Tallinn History Museum, all conveniently located within a walkable distance from all parts of Tallinn. Classical Hugs also features amazing facilities during the concert trips: 400-seat Kultuurikeskus in Kohtla-Järve, beautiful Tubin Hall with a window to park in Tartu, and magnificent 750-seat Rock Church in Helsinki, Finland.​

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Eligibility 

Classical Hugs Music Festival in Tallinn accepts students of all ages and nationalities. Masterclasses and concerts are open to the following instruments: Violin, Viola, Cello, Piano, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone, and Percussion.  ​

 

​​Accommodation/Meals 

Room and Board 

Classical Hugs Music Festival helps with finding various levels of

discount accommodation in Tallinn, for any level of comfort. The following are the prices per 1 person:

 a) Students' hotel; b) apartment with a kitchenette, c) 4-star hotel

- 54 Tuukri, Tallinn City Center - +372 5449 0990 - €30/night (Single Room)

- Apartment (shared with other students - 2-3 students per apartment) - €40/night

- 4-star Hotel - St. Olaf or Metropol Hotels - single room with breakfast at €55-60/night. 

To request accommodation, contact us early at classicalhugs@gmail.com

Meals (lunches and dinners) are available for purchase at Lido Cafe in Tallinn at €15-25 a meal per 1 person.

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Schedule

Festival Events' Schedule-2025 is ready.

Click on the document below to see the schedule.

 

 

 

 

Certificates & Diplomas

All Active students who have participated in the Classical Hugs Orchestral program in Estonia will be granted attendance certificates. Diplomas of Merit or Honor may also be granted.   

 

How to apply

To apply, choose 1 Application: 

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Impressions

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