Music Commission

Raul Talmar (EE), vice-president of the European Choral Association) | Chair

Raul Talmar graduated from the Tallinn Conservatory as choral conductor in 1982. He sang in mixed choir Noorus since 1977 and was the choir’s principal conductor in 1991–2012. At present, he conducts the mixed choir K.O.O.R.

In 2006, he was nominated conductor of the year by the Estonian Choral Association. Raul Talmar has also been the President of the Estonian Choral Association.

Since 1993, Raul Talmar has conducted mixed and female choirs at the Youth Song Festivals and since 2004 at Estonian Song and Dance Festivals. In 2011, he was the artistic director of the Estonian programme of the 16th Gaudeamus Students’ Song Festival.

Burak Onur Erdem (TR), vice-president of the European Choral Association) | Vice Chair

Burak studied music theory & conducting at the Istanbul Technical University Center for Advanced Studies in Music. He followed masterclasses with Johannes Prinz, Maria Guinand, Volker Hempfling, Anders Eby, Denes Szabo and Michael Gohl. Prior to his musical studies, he finished a political science & international relations degree in Boğaziçi University, which was crowned with the Rector’s Prize. Burak is Artistic Vice President of the European Choral Association (ECA), and was appointed to the board of International Federation of Choral Music (IFCM) in 2018.

Marleen de Boo (BE)

Marleen De Boo (Antwerp-Belgium) holds an MA both in Music Pedagogy and Choral Conducting.
She lectures choral conducting at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp.
At the Podiumacademie Lier she teaches, in collaboration with her colleague Tom Johnson, choral conducting in courses for amateurs, as well as for semi-professionals and professionals. One of these programs focusses on working with children.
Marleen is the artistic director of VZW Waelrantkoren, a non-profit organisation of eight choirs, five of them under her direction.
Her conducting span covers different age groups with a strong focus on the pedagogical aspects of choral singing. Her main drive is to show amateurs, especially children and youngsters, the beauty of choral music. She strives for her choirs to be a soft environment for youngsters that are looking for their identity, a place where everyone can express their true self.
Marleen is a popular workshop leader in Flanders.

Seán Doherty (IE)

Seán Doherty is a composer, musicologist, and choral singer. He read music at St John’s College, University of Cambridge, and earned a PhD at Trinity College, Dublin. His compositions are frequently commissioned, performed, and broadcast both nationally and internationally. His choral works have been performed by choirs around the world, including the World Youth Choir, Ex Cathedra, and Stellenbosch University Choir. Currently, Doherty is a lecturer in choral studies at Dublin City University and is active as a singer with the internationally acclaimed New Dublin Voices.

Tine Fris-Ronsfeld (DK)

Tine holds a soloist degree in pop and jazz choir leading and a masters degree in pop and jazz singing from The Royal Academy of Music in Denmark. She is a founding member, composer and singer of the experimental vocal group Postyr and co-conductor, singer and arranger of the choir Vocal Line, with whom she won the “Eurovision Choir of the Year” in 2019. Together with Kristoffer Fynbo Thorning, Tine has written several books about icebreakers and vocal warm ups, and she works internationally as a guest conductor, workshop leader and juror. Tine is the head of Aarhus Vocal Festival (DK) and serves on several advisory boards around the world.

Petra Grassi (SI/IT)

Petra Grassi (Slovenia/Italy) graduated cum laude in piano and music pedagogy at the Academy of music in Trieste. Afterwards, she specialized in conducting and composition at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana and the F.A. Bonporti Conservatory in Trento ( master degree) where today she is academic professor in choral conducting and composition. She has won various prizes at choral conducting competitions in for instance Arezzo, Toirno, Ljubljana and Hong Kong. With international half professional chamber choir VIKRA she won the 59° Grand prix “Seghizzi” in Gorizia. With DEKOR Chamber choir (Slo) she won the National choral competition Naša pesem in Maribor. Petra is guest conductor of the Slovenian Philharmonic Choir and often teaches choral conducting and masterclasses in Europe.

Heli Jürgenson (EE)

Heli Jürgenson (1969) has studied choir conducting at G. Ots Tallinna Music School and Tallinn Conservatoire. Since 1992 she is tutor of the choir conducting speciality at G. Ots Music School. Heli Jürgenson is the conductor of the Estonian Society Mixed Choir since it was founded in  1993. She has conducted also Charles Church Concert Choir and many other choirs.

In 2001–2012 she was engaged as a chorus master in the Estonian National Opera. Since 2012 Heli Jürgenson is the chorus master of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir.

Heli Jürgenson is known also as a conductor at the Estonian Song Celebrations. She has been the artistic direktor of the Finnish-Estonian Song Festival and Sacred Music Festivals. Heli was the conductor and artistic director of the XII youth song celebration in 2017 and is the artistic director of the XXVIII song celebration in 2025.

Imre Ploeg (NL)

Imre Ploeg graduated summa cum laude from the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague in Music Education. He followed various training courses and courses in choral conducting and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in choral conducting. He is artistic director of Consensus Vocalis, Chamber Choir JIP and Chamber Choir Ilmatar. In his capacity of artistic director he co-produced and co-created with Wende Snijders, Froukje, Marina Abramovic, the Netherlands Chamber Choir, Schweigman&, New European Ensemble, Nederlands Blazers Ensemble and many other institutions and artists. As a teacher, workshop leader and lecturer, he investigates the relationship between music, art and ecological issues. As a composer, he has been commissioned by choirs and ensembles in the Netherlands and abroad.

Aarne Saluveer (EE)

Aarne Saluveer graduated from Estonian Music Academy (choral conducting and music pedagogics) in 1982 and has since furthered his studies at diverse courses in Estonia and abroad (Mozarteum, Salzburg etc.).

He is currently one of the most active figures in the Estonian children’s and youth music scene, a teacher, conductor and educator. He is a founder and artistic director of Estonian TV choirs.

Aarne Saluveer’s choirs have won international awards at diverse Estonian and international choral contests (Tolosa, Gorizia, Arezzo, Arnhem, Let The Peoples Sing, etc).  He has participated as leader/artistic director in numerous projects.

Saluveer is one of the founder members of Estonian Society for Music Education and its first Chairman (1990-1995). Since 2000 he has been the President of Estonian Choral Association and a board member of European Federation of Young Choirs Europa Cantat, since 2005 also member of the Board of Estonian Music Council and Council of World Choir Games, and since 2008 board member of IFCM.

Since 1993 he has conducted children’s and toddler’s choirs at Estonian Song Celebrations, and was Artistic Director of 10th Youth Song Celebration Ilmapuu (2007): open-air concert uniting joint choir of 20 000 singers, symphony orchestras, brass bands and 100 000 spectators. The introductory project of the festical „World Tree“ won a prize at Many Musics in Europe Contest of European Music Council (2005). He has conducted concerts to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Their Majesties Japanese Emperor and Empress at their visits to Estonia, has been articstic director of Anniversary Concert of Estonian Republic, written and arranged music for diverse pop music projects and performed as an instrumentalist and vocalist, Eurovision song contests and international broadcasts included.

Jan Schumacher (DE)

Jan Schumacher (*1980), professor and music director of Frankfurt Goethe-University, and artistic director of the Frankfurter Singakademie. With his ensemble Camerata Musica Limburg he performed at IFCM WSCM, ACDA National Conference and America Cantat. Jan served as conductor and conducting teacher in many European, Asian, South-American and US countries and is one of the vice-president of IFCM and artistic director of the National German Choir competition.