Hirvo Surva

Hirvo Surva graduated from the Tallinn Georg Ots Music School in 1983 (teacher Silvia Mellik) and from the Estonian Academy of Music as a choir conductor in 1990 (prof Ants Üleoja). From 1991, he has been conductor at Song Celebrations and he was the artistic director of the 8th and 9th Youth Song Celebrations and also of the 26th Song Celebration in 2014.

Hirvo Surva has taken his choirs to numerous international competitions where they have won a great number of prizes. He has been a member of competition juries in Estonia and elsewhere. Hirvo Surva has been the chairman and board member of Estonian Choral Conductors Association, from 2019 he is the President of Estonian Choral Association. He was a resident-professor at Oregon State University in 2006 and 2010 and teaches in Tallinn Music High School since 2008. In addition, he is a professor of choir conducting at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.

Hirvo Surva has received a number of awards: best conductor at International Choir Festival “Tallinn“ in 2001 and 2003, annual award by Cultural Endowment of Estonia in 2002, Junior Chamber International Estonia award to an outstanding young person in Estonia (TOYP) in the field of culture in 2002, conductor of the year by Estonian Choral Association in 2003, Order of Honour by the city of Rakvere in 2004, Order of Merit by the city of Tallinn in 2005, annual award of folk culture by Cultural Endowment of Estonia in 2008, Gustav Ernesaks Award in 2012, musician of the year by Estonian Public Broadcasting in 2014, person of the year by Postimees in 2014, Order of Merit of the White Star, Third Class by Republic of Estonia in 2015, award by the Riho Päts School Music Foundation in 2018.