In 2025, the theme of Residentuu:r is “Tradition and the Human Psyche.” The focus is on the creation of Liisa Hõbepappel’s new chamber opera.

On April 8 at 18:00, a public rehearsal and discussion of the chamber opera The Dustborn by Liisa Hõbepappel and Ensemble U: will take place at the Estonian Centre for Contemporary Music – a chance to get a behind-the-scenes look at the collaborative creative process between the composer, ensemble, and stage director before the premiere, and to hear excerpts from the work-in-progress.

This edition of Residentuu:r features Lithuanian soprano Salomėja Petronytė.

Salomėja Petronytė is one of the most outstanding sopranos of Lithuania’s younger generation, with a passion for contemporary music and opera. She is currently pursuing a doctorate at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, with a focus on contemporary Lithuanian chamber music.

The chamber opera The Dustborn portrays the conflicting inner states of a single individual. It is a story of struggle and contradiction, both within and beyond ourselves. All the characters from the fairy tale The Seven Brothers are presented as aspects of one person’s psyche. The Estonian word “põrmuline” means mortal or earthly being. As the Estonian Dictionary of Standard Language illustrates with a quote by B. Kangro: “After all, I am only human – frail and lowly, a mere dustborn like anyone else.”

Liisa Hõbepappel’s chamber opera will premiere at the Estonian Music Days on May 10, 2025, at Viimsi Artium.

Free admission.