Vox Clamantis

Formed in 1996, Vox Clamantis is a vocal ensemble from Estonia, which comprises of a diversity of musicians – singers, composers, instrumentalists and conductors – who share their common passion for Gregorian chant. Next to the Gregorian chant, considered to be the foundation of all European professional music culture, Vox Clamantis often performs early polyphony and contemporary music. Many Estonian composers, among them Arvo Pärt, Helena Tulve and Erkki-Sven Tüür have written compositions for Vox Clamantis.

Vox Clamantis has performed with Catalan soprano Arianna Savall, Italian nyckelharpa player Marco Ambrosini, Israeli oud player Yair Dalal, Tunisian singer Dhafer Youssef, French pianistes Claire-Marie Le Guay and Jean-Claude Pennetier, the Cello Octet Amsterdam, early music consort Hortus Musicus, new music group NYYD Ensemble, the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and the Latvian Radio Choir. Continuous collaboration with different musicians has inspired the birth of impromptu programmes, based on improvisation.

Vox Clamantis has recorded for ECM and Mirare. The CD « Franz Liszt. Via crucis » (Mirare) have won Diapason d’Or in 2013. The CD «Arvo Pärt. Adam’s Lament» (conductor Tõnu Kaljuste, ECM) have won GRAMMY-Award for Best Choral Performance in 2014. The film featuring Vox Clamantis music, The Great Beauty (La Grande Bellezza), received an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film also in 2014.

The ensemble gives concerts in Estonia as well as abroad. Concert tours have taken Vox Clamantis to Finland, Norway, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Portugal, Poland, Germany, Switzerland, UK, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Russia, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, Canada, USA, Colombia and Japan.

In 2011 Vox Clamantis and Jaan-Eik Tulve were awarded the Annual Prize of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.

The artistic director and conductor of Vox Clamantis is Jaan-Eik TULVE.

Jaan-Eik Tulve was born in Tallinn (Estonia). After obtaining his diploma in choral conducting at the Tallinn Conservatory in 1991, he learned to conduct Gregorian chant at Le Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSM), where he was awarded first prize in 1993. He then worked at the CNSM as assistant to Louis-Marie Vigne, who had a determining influence on his musical development. He has also given many courses in Gregorian chant, in France, Belgium, Italy, Norway, Scotland, the Faeroe Islands, Lithuania, Finland and Estonia. In 1996 he took up a post teaching Gregorian chant at the National Music Academy in Estonia. He is often invited to conduct work sessions in monasteries. In his musical training - Gregorian, in particular - Jaan-Eik Tulve has learned a great deal from his work in common with Dom Daniel Saulnier of Solesmes Abbey.

In 1992 Jaan-Eik Tulve became conductor of the Paris Gregorian Choir, with which he has appeared in many European countries and also in Lebanon. Many of the recordings made with the choir have received great critical acclaim (Diapason d’Or). In 1993 Jaan-Eik Tulve formed the Lac et Mel ensemble in Paris, for the performance of medieval polyphonic works. He also formed the female-voice section of the Paris Gregorian Choir in 1994. Finally, in 1996, he formed the Vox Clamantis ensemble in Tallinn.

Jaan-Eik Tulve has been awarded the Order of the White Star of the Republic of Estonia, the Order of Léopold of the Kingdom of Belgium and the Order of Arts and Letters of the French Republic.