Kaia Urb (Soprano)

Born: Estonia

The Estonian soprano, Kaia Urb, graduated from the Tallinn State Conservatoire and continued her studies with Lilian Gentele in Stockholm. Since 1982 Kaia Urb has been a member of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. She has sung solo parts in various oratorios of the choir’s repertoire and has taken part in many concert tours and recordings.

Kaia Urb is one of the most acclaimed oratorio singers in Estonia and abroad. She has worked with many renowned conductors such as Tõnu Kaljuste, Neeme Järvi, Paavo Järvi, Paul Mägi, Paul Hillier, Olari Elts, Juha Kangas, Saulius Sondeckis and others, and various ensembles and orchestras such as Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Hilliard Ensemble, Göteborg (Gothenburg) Symphony Orchestra, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Tallinn Baroque Orchestra, Estonian early music ensemble Hortus Musicus, Estonian contemporary music ensemble NYYD Ensemble, Chamber Orchestras of Lithuania, Prague, Australia etc.

Kaia Urb’s natural musical talent coupled with flawless technique makes her a much sought-after performer in repertoire spanning from Baroque music to new works by contemporary composers: all of J.S. Bach’s oratorios and many cantatas, George Frideric Handel’s Messiah, Judas Maccabeus and Dixit Dominus, Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Monteverdi’s Vespro della Beata Virgine, Ottorino Respighi’s Lauda per la natività del Signore, Antonio Vivaldi’s Gloria, Haydn’s Creation and masses, Mozart’s Requiem, Vesperae solennes de Confessore, Litaniae Lauretanae and masses, Felix Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Fauré’s Requiem, Francis Poulenc’s Gloria, Reich´s Tehillim and Proverb, Pärt’s Passio, Miserere, Te Deum, Luciano Berio’s Sequenza III, etc.

Kaia Urb is also an excellent chamber musician and has held concerts with the ensemble Camerata Tallinn and guitarist Heiki Mätlik. She has performed music by many Estonian composers such as Mägi, Sink, Tamberg, Tormis and Tulev, has recorded several CD's and has been a regular guest at many Estonian music festivals such as Haapsalu Early Music Festival and David Oistrach Festival. She and can be heard in 5 Harmonia Mundi recordings: The Powers of Heaven; Sergei Rachmaninov’s All-Night Vigil (2005); Baltic Voices, Vol.1, 2 and 3 (2005).

Source: Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir Website; Harmonia Mundi Website
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (June 2009)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Hans Gebhard

Soprano

BWV 247

Links to other Sites

Kaia Urb (EPCC)

Harmonia Mundi - Artists: Kaia Urb