BIO
Kristjan Kannukene (1996) is an Estonian violist, singer, electric guitarist, performer-composer, improviser and intermedia artist based in Tallinn.
He has an ongoing project "9", which is based on a microtonal 9EDO scale –
it is a work in progress that has had many different versions since year 2018 (9PI, oo9, 9I, 9o, 9 spheres, 9).
Currently it has formed into an interactive spherical intermedia instrument, which he presents both with performance and as a sound installation.
His artistic research aims to find ways to connect viola and voice, which he has done in his compositions Etz HaChaim, Veni Creator Spiritus and by premiering new pieces for viola and voice. Liis Jürgens was the first composer to write him a piece for viola and voice, based on a poem "Lill – väikseimgi" by Teedy Tüür.
Kristjan’s collaboration with the composer Paul Beaudoin led to the premiere of Paul’s piece “dil newas” for viola and electronics, which is published by the Edition Wandelweiser.
In 2023 he premiered his piece “I saw O” for amplified saw, wood and electrically excited shaman drum, which received the effect-processed sound signal from the saw and thus acted as a speaker.
In 2022, ЯK – his most long-standing improvisation duo with cellist Roxanna Albayati – released their first improvisation album “Daste Ma دست ما”.
Kristjan has performed his compositions at the Wigmore Hall in London, the Met Cloisters in New York, the Tranzac Club in Toronto, the Hindemith Music Centre in Switzerland and elsewhere around the world.
He composed music and created the soundworld for the theatre play „Tuulte pöörises“, which premiered as a part of the 100th Anniversary of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.
In 2018 he performed his piece “ORG#MAD” for solo viola and chamber orchestra with Glasperlenspiel Sinfonietta, conducted by Andres Mustonen.
He has won 1st prize in the string category at the Fourth International Classical Music Competition “Kaunas Sonorum 2017”.
At the same year he also released his debut album “333” – a blend of rock and contemporary classical music.
A year earlier he collaborated with Estonian rock-classical pianist-composer Rein Rannap for the rock album “Forbidden. Early songs of Ruja 43 years later.”
Kristjan has been a lead singer in two documentary movies (Keelatud – Ruja, Eesti muld ja Eesti Ruja) about Estonia’s first and greatest rock band Ruja.
He has also sung a solo bass part of J. S. Bach cantata “Der Friede sei mit Dir” BWV158 and played the solo violin part of J. S. Bach a-minor BWV1041 violin concerto on electric guitar at bachFest Tallinn.
He has attended viola and improvisation masterclasses with Nobuko Imai, Garth Knox, Lawrence Power, Maggie Nicols, Fred Frith and gabby fluke-mogul, Gerry Hemingway, Mats Gustaffson, Christoph Baumann, Agustí Fernández, Liudas Mockūnas, Arnas Mikalkenas, Mazen Kerbaj, Vincent Lê Quang and many others.
He has studied with violist, singer and visual artist Charlotte Hug at the Lucerne University of Arts (Music and Art Performance) and the Zurich University of Arts (CAS Creation & Scenario in Music) and contemporary improvisation with Anne-Liis Poll and Anto Pett at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, where he previously studied viola with Toomas Nestor and composition with Toivo Tulev, obtaining a masters degree in classical music performance. In 2018/19 he studied viola under Rivka Golani at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London.
The Republic of Estonia Ministry of Education and Research awarded him the “Student of the Year 2018”.
Lühike biograafia.pdfHe has an ongoing project "9", which is based on a microtonal 9EDO scale –
it is a work in progress that has had many different versions since year 2018 (9PI, oo9, 9I, 9o, 9 spheres, 9).
Currently it has formed into an interactive spherical intermedia instrument, which he presents both with performance and as a sound installation.
His artistic research aims to find ways to connect viola and voice, which he has done in his compositions Etz HaChaim, Veni Creator Spiritus and by premiering new pieces for viola and voice. Liis Jürgens was the first composer to write him a piece for viola and voice, based on a poem "Lill – väikseimgi" by Teedy Tüür.
Kristjan’s collaboration with the composer Paul Beaudoin led to the premiere of Paul’s piece “dil newas” for viola and electronics, which is published by the Edition Wandelweiser.
In 2023 he premiered his piece “I saw O” for amplified saw, wood and electrically excited shaman drum, which received the effect-processed sound signal from the saw and thus acted as a speaker.
In 2022, ЯK – his most long-standing improvisation duo with cellist Roxanna Albayati – released their first improvisation album “Daste Ma دست ما”.
Kristjan has performed his compositions at the Wigmore Hall in London, the Met Cloisters in New York, the Tranzac Club in Toronto, the Hindemith Music Centre in Switzerland and elsewhere around the world.
He composed music and created the soundworld for the theatre play „Tuulte pöörises“, which premiered as a part of the 100th Anniversary of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.
In 2018 he performed his piece “ORG#MAD” for solo viola and chamber orchestra with Glasperlenspiel Sinfonietta, conducted by Andres Mustonen.
He has won 1st prize in the string category at the Fourth International Classical Music Competition “Kaunas Sonorum 2017”.
At the same year he also released his debut album “333” – a blend of rock and contemporary classical music.
A year earlier he collaborated with Estonian rock-classical pianist-composer Rein Rannap for the rock album “Forbidden. Early songs of Ruja 43 years later.”
Kristjan has been a lead singer in two documentary movies (Keelatud – Ruja, Eesti muld ja Eesti Ruja) about Estonia’s first and greatest rock band Ruja.
He has also sung a solo bass part of J. S. Bach cantata “Der Friede sei mit Dir” BWV158 and played the solo violin part of J. S. Bach a-minor BWV1041 violin concerto on electric guitar at bachFest Tallinn.
He has attended viola and improvisation masterclasses with Nobuko Imai, Garth Knox, Lawrence Power, Maggie Nicols, Fred Frith and gabby fluke-mogul, Gerry Hemingway, Mats Gustaffson, Christoph Baumann, Agustí Fernández, Liudas Mockūnas, Arnas Mikalkenas, Mazen Kerbaj, Vincent Lê Quang and many others.
He has studied with violist, singer and visual artist Charlotte Hug at the Lucerne University of Arts (Music and Art Performance) and the Zurich University of Arts (CAS Creation & Scenario in Music) and contemporary improvisation with Anne-Liis Poll and Anto Pett at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, where he previously studied viola with Toomas Nestor and composition with Toivo Tulev, obtaining a masters degree in classical music performance. In 2018/19 he studied viola under Rivka Golani at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London.
The Republic of Estonia Ministry of Education and Research awarded him the “Student of the Year 2018”.
External links:
interpreet.ee/staff/kristjan-kannukene/
sirp.ee/s1-artiklid/c5-muusika/nonii-siin-ta-nuud-on/