Robert Jürjendal
“Displaying a fantastically delicate touch and ability to unfurl a wide variety of melodic lines from a single harmonic point of departure, the man who released his acclaimed Sourced Of Joy a few years ago has the audience rapt, which is no mean feat given the size of the venue.
Having written for strings, harpsichord, brass and choir, Jurjendal clearly has a broad sonic outlook and his subtle evocations of a sound world beyond the guitar are mightily impressive.”
– Kevin Le Gendre, Jazzwise
Robert Jürjendal is an innovative Estonian guitarist and composer. Apart from the guitar repertoire, he has written music for male and chamber choirs, harpsichord duo, string quartet and mixed ensembles. His composition style is influenced by minimal music, classical, progressive rock, electronic soundscapes, ambient jazz and old church music. He has written music for documentary and nature films, theatre productions and art exhibitions. He works currently as a freelance guitarist and composer. Robert has appeared on more than 55 records and performed on festivals in USA, UK, Germany, France, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia.
Over the last 30 years Robert has recorded /performed with different artists: Tõnis Mägi & 777, Weekend Guitar Trio, Fragile, Riho Sibul, Kärt Johanson, Suurõ Pilvõ, UMA, David Rothenberg, Petri Kuljuntausta, Markus Reuter, Madis Metsamart, Liis Viira, Andi Pupato, Iris Oja, Kaido Kirikmäe, Anti Jürjendal. Five Seasons, Jan Bang, Colin Edwin, Sandor Szabo, Jon Durant, Arve Henriksen, Ellerhein Girls Choir, K.O.O.R, Estonian State Male Choir, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir.
Since 2015 Robert Jürjendal is curating the performance project SOOLO at Tallinn Art Hall. In 2017 he was awarded the title of Musician of the Year by Estonian Public Broadcasting.
Solo albums Robert’s first solo album Source Of Joy(iapetus-media 2013), includes a variety of guest musicians (Arvo Urb, Geoff Lee, Aleksei Saks, Madis Metsamart, Lotte Jürjendal etc.), different guitars, electronics and other instruments. His second album Balm Of Light (iapetus-media 2015) is focused more on guitar, with some support of vocals, harpsichord and cello, performed by his wife Signe Jürjendal, daughter Iti and son Anti. In 2016 Robert released his third solo album SIMPLE PAST (Strangiato Records) featuring Andrus Lillepea, among the most outstanding Estonian drummers. Collaborations During 1987-1988 Robert and drummer Arvo Urb (Magnetic Band, Ruja, In-Spe) formed a duo named Pajuke. Together with bass player Alari Piispea and guitarist Riho Sibul, the duo soon became a quartet. In 1989 Robert was introduced by Taivo Niitvägi to the legendary Estonian rock singer and songwriter Tõnis Mägi. Later, in the same year, Robert performed with Tõnis Mägi Group in front of thousands of people at the Rock Summer Music Festival 1989. Soon after this Tõnis Mägi, Arvo Urb and Robert Jürjendal formed an ethno-rock group named 777 (later Tõnis Mägi & 777) where Robert’s role was both as guitar player and a songwriter. The group was complete after bass player Alari Piispea, second guitarist Kalle Vilpuu, keyboardist Avo Ulvik and accordion player Henn Rebane joined. The group performed in Estonia, Finland and France. In 1993, Robert Jürjendal, Mart Soo and Tõnis Leemets formed the group Weekend Guitar Trio which became Robert’s most successful group for decades. It consists of players with backgrounds in Classical Guitar/Guitar Craft method, electronic music and jazz/free improvisation, respectively. They have performed at countless jazz festivals all over Europe, had compositions written specially for them by Estonian and German composers, and presented their own compositions at contemporary music festivals. WGT won first prize at the Lausanne International Guitar festival in 1995. Between 1992 and 1997 Robert Jürjendal took part in the Guitar Craft Courses in Grossderschau, Germany. These unique guitar seminars were lead by guitarist Robert Fripp, a leader of the legendary British rock group King Crimson. Robert Jürjendal completed his GC courses in 1997 with a tour in Germany with The Berlin Guitar Ensemble. At the end of the ’90s Robert and a well-known Estonian accordion player Henn Rebane formed the New Folk Duo, which focused on Estonian traditional music. In 2003 they released the album Eesti asi. The group Fragile was formed in 1997 as a performance project together with Robert Jürjendal, Arvo Urb and artist Tõnu Talve. The aim of this collaboration was to connect improvisational music and painting. Fragile performed in Estonia, Portugal, Udmurtia, and played/recorded together with Evelin Saul, Riho Sibul, Tõnis Leemets, Lotte Jürjendal, David Rothenberg, Tarvi Laaman and Udmurtian singer Nadia Utkina. Fragile has released 4 albums: Manifest (1998), Appletree in Osaka (2000), Saad (2004), Uchke Ali (2008). In 2002-2004 Robert collaborated with the singer Kärt Johanson on the album Seitse Une Nägu (2004) UMA, a duo of Robert Jürjendal with trumpet and corno da caccia player Aleksei Saks was formed in 2007. “At first glance the instrumentation might suggest their music might be a sparse jazzy affair; yet the integration of live electronics and processing makes their sound float somewhere between post-rock, ambient, electronica and the subtle, cool tones of ECM-style jazz”. UMA has released 4 albums: Civitas Soli (2008), Hymn To Undiscovered Land (2010) feat. Tim Bowness (singer of NoMan) and Andi Pupato (percussion), Meeting Unknown (2012) feat. Iris Oja (vocal) and Andi Pupato, and Peidus Pool (2013) feat. Iris Oja and Anzori Barkalaja (poetry) Slow Electric was initially formed to play three dates at the 2010 Estonian Jazz Festival. Slow Electric is a new project from Tim Bowness and Peter Chilvers (keyboards) and the Estonian duo UMA. They have released the album Slow Electric (Panegyric Recordings 2011) feat. Tony Levin on stick. Quartet For The End Of Time released Modus Novus in 2012: “The group, made up of four guitarists, took its name from Olivier Messiaen’s famous composition and was formed in the year of his hundredth birthday. However, there is no claim made to be related to him or his music in any way.” – Markus Reuter. The four guitarists are: Robert Jürjendal, Tõnis Leemets, Markus Reuter, Mart Soo. Three Corners Of The World (3Corners Of The World, 2007) is an improvisational music project with Robert Jürjendal (guitar, electronics), David Rothenberg (clarinet, voice, computer) and Petri Kuljuntausta (live sampling, electronics). This Fragile Moment (This Fragile Moment, 2009) is an eclectic musical assemblage fronted by the charismatic English vocalist Toyah Willcox. The album predominantly features improvised live-in-the-studio performances by Toyah, bassist Chris Wong (of Toyah’s other current project The Humans), producer & touch guitarist Markus Reuter, plus the members of Estonian duo Fragile: Arvo Urb (drums, percussion) and Robert Jürjendal (guitar). Estonian folk/ambient trio Suurõ’ Pilvõ’ (Big Clouds) was formed originally in 1997: Celia Roose – voice, harmonica, bagpipe, Norwegian flute; Tuule Kann – voice, Estonian zithers, Jews harp; Robert Jürjendal – guitar, live electronics. In 2009 they released the album Suurõ’ Pilvõ’. The group was introduced at BBC3 Late Junction by Fiona Talkington. The trio also performed at Kings Place, London. In 2018-2019 they collaborated with Estonian National Male Choir and released the album RegiRAM. Robert Jürjendal collaborated with Jan Bang (live sampling) on the album Narrative from the Subtropics (2013). They performed together at Stalker Festival in Tallinn, 2012. Robert Jürjendal collaborated with Indrek Patte on the album Thank and Share (2014) Robert Jürjendal, Kaido Kirikmäe (electronics) and Valdur Mikita (texts) released the album Iluküsija in 2016 (Ambifunk). In 2017 in collaboration with Viljandi Guitar Festival Robert Jürjendal performed and recorded “Root Bridge”, a composition by Liis Viira, available on the album Eight. In 2018 Robert released the album Another World (Hard World) with British bass player Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree, Exwise-Heads, O.R.K). In April 2019 Robert Jürjendal, Hungarian innovative guitarist Sandor Szabo and percussionist Balasz Major released the album Echolocation IV/ Electric Poetry (Grey Disc). The follow-up, Echolocation V/Dark Specularity was released in December of the same year. Robert Jürjendal has currently worked together with Norwegian trumpet player Arve Henriksen, percussionist Madis Metsamart, conductor Kaspars Putninš and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. The premieres of „Estonian Landscapes” I, „Credo” and „ Then The Days Are Lighter Than White” were performed on Dec 13th, 2018 at St Nicholas Church, Tallinn, Estonia. In 2018-2019 Robert collaborated with Valdur Mikita, Kaido Kirikmäe , Raul Talmar and mixed choir K.O.O.R. They released the LP Sõida tasa üle silla (Ambifunk 2019). The album Five Seasons (Albany Records 2018) includes Jürjendal’s academic compositions for Danish/Estonian ensemble Five Seasons, consisting of: Volkmar Zimmermann (classical guitar), Sara Fiil (soprano voice), Robert Jürjendal (guitar), Aleksei Saks (corno da caccia) and Madis Metsamart (percussion). Estonian Incantations 1 (Toccata Next, 2019) is a collaboration between Estonian and Finnish guitarists, composers together with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. The album also includes a composition by Robert Jürjendal and Doris Kareva (poetry) titled “The Night Was Long”. Robert Jürjendal has also worked with Estonian singer Siiri Sisask and bass player Peedu Kass. In 2019 Miguel Noya, Paul Godwin (also known as a duo DOGON) and Robert Jürjendal released the album Samliku (NewDog Records), recorded in rural Estonia. In December 2019 Robert Jürjendal and Miguel Noya released the album The Power Of Distance (NewDog Records). Jürjendal is currently performing with his son Anti Jürjendal (cello), Madis Metsamart (percussion), Doris Kareva (poetry) and Jaan Tammsalu (text). Composer Robert studied classical guitar and composition (with composer Anti Marguste) at Georg Ots Tallinn Music College. He was interested in Church Music, Renaissance and Medieval Music. In 1986 -1988 Robert made his first recordings at Estonian Radio Studios and at Tallinn Townhall Studios with engineer Maido Maadik, engineers/composers Indrek Patte, Margo Kõlar and Rauno Remme. Together with the excellent musicians Arvo Urb (drums, percussion) and Erki-Sven Tüür from the Estonian prog-group In Spe (composer, voice, keyboards) Robert recorded his first experimental multi-instrumental orchestral composition ”The Turning”. Since 2000 Robert has been working as a freelance composer, creating music for different instruments, ensembles and choirs, for films and theatre. Main compositions Lilled, kampsunid, informatsioon (Flowers, Sweaters, Information) for 2 Harpsichords 2006 Nominations 1995 I Prize at Lausanne Contemporary Guitar Music Competition with Weekend Guitar Trio Music for documentaries: Music for short films: Music for theatre:Full Biography
Choral for 3 brass instruments 2010
Conciliator (Manitseja) for Tobias String Quartet 2010
This Night Was Long for Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Weekend Guitar Trio 2013
Mutability for Five Season Ensemble (2 guitars, soprano, trumpet and percussion) 2013
This Night Was Long for Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Weekend Guitar Trio 2013
Three Kings for Una Corda (Estonian kannel, harp and cembalo) 2014
EGO for Resonabilis Ensemble (mezzo soprano, cello, Estonian chromatic kannel, flute) 2015
Veel (On The Water) for Ellerhein Girls Choir 2016
Missa Brevis for Ellerhein Girls Choir, electric guitar and percussion 2017
Puud (Trees) for a capella mixed choir 2017
Raba (Bog) for YXUS Ensemble 2018
Estonian Landscapes I for Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, percussion and improvised electric guitar (premiere on Dec 13th, 2018 St Nicholas Church, Tallinn, Estonia)
Then The Days Were Lighter Than White for Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, percussion and guitar 2018
Tuisust saan tuju a suite for Ellerhein Girls Choir 2019
2004 A Year Award of Estonian Culture Capital
2013 Master degree in Music Teaching at Estonian Academy of Theater and Music
2013 Nominee Of The Estonian Music Award
2016 Musician Of The Year Award by Estonian Public Broadcasting
2017 Nominee of The Estonian Music Award
“Sundasunik” (2004), dir. Rein Maran
“Rannaniitude laulud” (2005), dir. Ago Ruus
“Red With Black” (2008), “Lanswood Gardens” (2011) and “Charlie and the Common Good” (2019), dir. Pawel Kuczynski (Poland)
“The Measure of Man” (2010), dir. Marianne Kõrver
“Hoidmise vägi” dir. Riho Västrik
“Lendoravasõda” (2018), dir. Heli Tetlov
“Vello Salo. Igapäevaelu müstika” (2018), dir. Jaan Tootsen
“Woman And the Glacier” (2016), dir. Audrys Stonys, Studio Vesilind
“Come Back Free” (2016) and “Immortal” (2019) dir. Ksenja Ohhapkina, Studio Vesilind
“Teispool vihma“ (2004), dir. Margus Paju
“Igatsus” dir. Steve Cute (USA)
“Elvis oli kapis“ dir. Aare Toikka
“Kähku igavikku ”, Lahuselu“ dir. Roman Baskin
“Kalevipoeg”, dir. Karl laumets