Estonian composer Elis Hallik signed a contract with the renowned publisher Schott Music. The agreement was signed on August 21st at Schott Music’s headquarters in Mainz, Germany, with the publisher’s executives Denis Martin Freiberg and Dr. Thomas Sertl in attendance.
“This is a true dream come true. I vividly remember how, as a student at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre and the Lyon Conservatory, I searched the libraries for those famous yellow-covered scores containing the works of the world’s greatest composers—Hosokawa, Stravinsky, Takemitsu, Ligeti. For me, those scores were a window to a new world of sounds. Now, seeing my own work among those same covers, I feel immense gratitude and joy.”
Elis Hallik recalled her first visit to Schott’s headquarters in Mainz, which felt like stepping into a dream journey through time. “There was the first edition of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Ligeti’s manuscripts, and Wagner’s room where he worked on his librettos and from where his operas crossed the Rhine to the world. The Mainz headquarters is like a grand castle and a window into the secret world of historical wonders,” Hallik remembered. “Collaborating with Schott Music means a lot to me because they have believed in my music and supported my journey. I am excited about the beginning of this new chapter.”
Under Schott Music, Hallik’s work will reach a wider audience worldwide. The first piece to be released by Schott is “Aegis,” which Hallik composed in 2018 and dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia. The Estonian premiere of the piece will take place on September 29, performed by the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra under Kristiina Poska. Additionally, “Aegis” will also be performed under Poska’s baton with the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra in Spain and the Montpellier Orchestra in France early next year.
Schott Music is one of the oldest music publishers, with a catalog that includes works by composers such as Ludwig van Beethoven, Richard Wagner, Igor Stravinsky, and Carl Orff, as well as many 20th and 21st-century composers including György Ligeti and Krzysztof Penderecki. Contemporary composers represented include Toshio Hosokawa, Pēteris Vasks, and Chaya Czernowin.