# Vahur Luhtsalu

Vahur Luhtsalu (born 26 November 1972 in Tallinn) is an Estonian cellist, music pedagogue, conductor, and publicist. Renowned for his versatility, Luhtsalu has performed globally, premiered contemporary works, and contributed to music education and journalism. His career spans orchestral performance, chamber music, conducting, and collaborations with prominent international artists.

## Early Life and Education

Luhtsalu began his musical studies at Tallinn 21st School and later graduated from the Georg Ots Tallinn Music College, where he trained under the mentorship of Estonian cellist and pedagogue Lembi Mets. He continued at Budapest’s Franz Liszt Academy of Music under Professor István Csurgay, a student of Antal Friss and Natalia Gutman. He honed his skills through masterclasses with cellists Csaba Onczay, Uzi Wiesel, and Siegfried Pank, and received instruction from conductors András Ligeti and Sigmund Thorp at various stages of his career.

## Career
### Performance and Collaborations

Luhtsalu’s repertoire spans Baroque to contemporary music. He has recorded works by Bach, Beethoven, and Shostakovich with pianist Andres Paas, earning acclaim for their "technical mastery and emotional intensity." A frequent performer at Estonia’s Kuressaare Chamber Music Days, he has premiered compositions by Arvo Pärt, Anti Marguste, and Ananda Sukarlan.
Notable collaborations include violinists Maano Männi and Peter Somogyi, pianists Ananda Sukarlan and Ayke Agus, and conductors Tõnu Kaljuste and Olari Elts. He has performed with orchestras such as the Estonian National Symphony, Budapest Operetta Theatre, and Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic, touring approximately 20 countries.

### Conducting

Luhtsalu served as principal and guest conductor for ensembles including the Universitas Pelita Harapan Symphony Orchestra (Indonesia) and Camerata Indonesia, blending European and Southeast Asian musical traditions.

### Teaching and Pedagogy

From 1997–2002, he taught chamber music at Georg Ots Tallinn Music College. Later, at Indonesia’s Universitas Pelita Harapan Conservatory (2016–2020), he instructed cello, chamber music, string quartet, string pedagogy and literature, and orchestral practice. He has led masterclasses in Indonesia, Singapore, and Estonia, mentoring musicians such as cellist Rahman Noor. He participated as a judge at the IASAS (Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools) Music Festival in Jakarta (2017) and as a cello clinician (leading masterclasses and workshops) at the 7th Biennial Singapore International String Conference (2018).

### Writing

Luhtsalu has authored over 100 articles, essays, and critiques on current affairs, musical events, and cultural topics for media outlets including Postimees, Sirp, and The Jakarta Post, among others.

### Critical Reception

Critics have lauded Luhtsalu’s artistry, with Lembi Mets praising his "masculine vigor in phrasing" and Kristel Pappel noting the "emotional intensity, technical mastery, and rich amplitude of sound" in his performances. His collaboration with pianist Andres Paas has been described as possessing "dynamic fervor" (Mets) and "shared musical pulse" (Maarja Kasema), qualities that solidified their reputation as a leading chamber music duo in Estonia’s chamber music landscape.

### Selected Discography and Premieres

* Studio and live concert recordings of works by Beethoven, Kodály, and Rachmaninoff with Andres Paas.
* Premieres of works by Arvo Pärt, Anti Marguste, Ananda Sukarlan, Wishnu Dewanta, Wilbert J. Deil, and Chikita Amanda.

## Gallery

* Maano Männi, Andres Paas, Vahur Luhtsalu performing at Dr. Fr. R. Kreutzwald Memorial Museum in Võru, Estonia on 28 February, 2003.
* Vahur Luhtsalu at 7th Biennial Singapore International String Conference in December, 2018.