Since this year, the Head and Ceremonial Conductor of the Estonian Military Orchestra operating within the Estonian War Museum is Samuel Jalakas, who previously played trumpet in the Orchestra. Simmu Vasar, the long-time chief of the Defence Forces Orchestra and later the Military Orchestra, has rejoined the Defence Forces.
Samuel Jalakas (1993) graduated from the Georg Ots Tallinn Music School with a degree in trumpet and obtained his bachelor's and master's degrees (cum laude) in the trumpet class of Indrek Vau at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (2019). He has been active in the field of orchestral music and state ceremonies for over a decade, playing trumpet first in the Police and Border Guard Orchestra and since 2019 in the Estonian Defence Forces Orchestra.
The new head sees his task as increasing the role and value of the Military Orchestra in society. “The goal is to make the Estonian Military Orchestra more visible, both in the national and military context and in the wider cultural field,” said Samuel Jalakas. “I want to enliven the inner life of the orchestra and ensure that the military orchestra continues to be a high-level professional orchestra, maintaining the tradition of military music in Estonia.”
Hellar Lill, Director of the Estonian War Museum, thanked Simmu Vasara for his long-term work. Vasar joined the Estonian Defence Forces Orchestra in 1996, and in 2019 he became the orchestra's leader. “Simmu was able to bring the orchestra through the turbulent times when the Estonian Defence Forces Orchestra became the Military Orchestra,” said Lill. “Thanks to him, the Estonian military orchestra is viable today and has found its place and a new lease of life. Samuel therefore has big shoes to fill, but I am sure that he has all the prerequisites for this.”
A competition has been announced to find a new trumpet player for the military orchestra. The task of the Estonian military orchestra is to take care of the musical design of state ceremonies and protocol events and other representative events, to preserve the tradition of military music in Estonia, and to promote the culture of professional wind music. Different formations of the military orchestra can also be booked to perform at other suitable events. The Military Orchestra consists of a woodwind group, a brass group, and a percussion group.
The first state ceremony of the Estonian Military Orchestra under the direction of Samuel Jalakas on the 105th anniversary of the Armistice of the War of Independence on 3.01.2025. Samuel Jalakas in the middle of the first row. Photo: Teet Raik/EWM
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