Valle-Rasmus Roots (b. 1994) is a cellist and a conductor. In 2013, he graduated from the Tallinn Music High School in the cello class of Mart Laas and in 2020 he received a Master’s degree from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. In 2022, he obtained a Master’s degree in orchestral conducting (in the class of Prof. Paul Mägi). Currently he is continuing at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre as a doctoral student and junior researcher under the guidance of Arvo Volmer. Roots has been an exchange student in the Berlin University of the Arts under Wolfgang Böttcher and at the Sibelius Academy in the cello class Prof. Marko Ylönen. He has also participated in the master classes of renowned cellists (David Geringas, Wolfgang Böttcher, Marko Ylönen, Francis Gouton, and others) and conductors (Neeme Järvi, Paavo Järvi, Kristjan Järvi, Leonid Grin, Arvo Volmer, Vello Pähn, Jorma Panula). He was awarded 1st Prize at the Baltic string players’ competition in Vilnius (2018) and he has won the Yamaha scholarship competition (2016). Roots has conducted several orchestras; he is the founder and conductor of the orchestra Helikunst and has collaborated with soloists such as Marcel Johannes Kits, Katariina Maria Kits, Sten Lassmann, Karis Trass, Hans Christian Aavik, Tähe-Lee Liiv, Elina Netšajeva, and others. As a cellist he has soloed before the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Pärnu City Orchestra, Baden-Baden Philharmonic Orchestra, the symphony orchestra of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, under the baton of conductors such as Jüri Alperten, Arvo Volmer, Paul Mägi, Risto Joost, Mikk Murdvee, Kaspar Mänd, and others. Roots performs on the Celeste Farotti cello (owned by Mrs Maivi Kaljuvee) given to his use by the Estonian Foundation of Musical Instruments.