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Maestro Eri Klas was born in 1939 in Tallinn, Estonia. He graduated as an opera and concert conductor in both Tallinn and Leningrad, beginning his conducting career at the Estonia Theatre in Tallinn and at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. From autumn 1998 to summer 2006 Eri Klas was the Artistic Director of the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra. Afterwards the orchestra invited him as its Conductor Laureate. Eri Klas is regularly guest conducting orchestras all over the world. Since year 2000 he has been artistic director of the Tallinn Philharmonia. He has conducted over 100 orchestras in 40 countries from Australia to Iceland and from Japan to the United States. He also conducted the Asian Youth Orchestra on a tour of Asia and Europe. He was on several tours (appearing in Vienna, Budapest, Italy, China and Sweden) with the choir and orchestra of the Sibelius Academy. Eri Klas has recorded for several labels. He was the Professor of Orchestral Conducting at the Sibelius Academy 1993-97. Currently he is a Professor at the Estonian Music Academy. Eri Klas was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Estonian Music Academy. He holds the Royal Order of the Polar Star Officer First Class awarded in 1989 by the King of Sweden and Commander of the Lion of Finland awarded in 1992 by the President of the Republic of Finland. Eri Klas is also the Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF.
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