JURY
SIRJE MEDELL
Member of the jury
Sirje Medell is a vocal teacher, vocal therapist, singer. He works as a singing lecturer in the stage art department of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theater, and also cooperates with the jazz music department. At MUBA, Sirje works as a rhythm music voice instrument and rhythm music teacher.
At Tallinn Open School, he works as a music teacher, conductor of the children's and toddler choir.
Has conducted master courses in Estonia and abroad. Sings in the modern improvisational music ensemble Viiip3.
MARTA OZOLA
Member of the jury
Marta Ozola is one of Latvia’s most vibrant and creative choral conductors.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Choral Conducting from the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian
Academy of Music. Earlier in her career, she was a member of the vocal ensemble
Latvian Voices, participating in several international a cappella competitions across
Europe.
Since 2009, Marta Ozola has been the founder and the Artistic Director of the mixed
choir Pa Saulei (Garkalne), guiding the choir to significant international success. Under
her leadership, the choir has earned numerous distinctions worldwide — including 3rd
place in Popular Music and 4th place in Polyphony at the 51st Tolosa Choral Contest
(2019), and 2nd place in the mixed choir category at the 2023 Latvian Song and Dance
Festival Choir Competition Finals. In 2024, the Cultural Centre “Berģi” mixed choir Pa
Saulei won two gold medals and a special prize for the best interpretation of the
contemporary mandatory work The Tyger at the Tokyo International Choir Competition.
Since 2022, Marta Ozola has also been the Artistic Director of the Tume Mixed Choir,
where she has refreshed the ensemble’s artistic vision, introduced new contemporary
and Latvian repertoire, and strengthened the choir’s performance culture and visibility
in regional and national choral events.
Marta Ozola has successful collaboration with the Latvian Radio Choir, contributing as
a guest conductor in the concert program Sun and Moon – a production created
together with another emerging – generation woman conductor. The program explored
the interplay of light and darkness, day and night, and masculine and feminine energies.
Marta is known for designing musical programs that highlight Latvia’s cultural and
musical traditions, inspiring singers and creating unique, emotionally resonant
performances. In collaboration with composer Laura Jēkabsone, she has created a
solstice – themed choral song cycle, premiered in March 2025 at the Riga Circus. Marta
Ozola has also been recognized by the Latvian public, receiving the Latvian Public Media
Readers’ Choice Award for “Choir Conductor of the Year” in 2025.
KARIN SALUMÄE
Member of the jury
Vocal teacher and singer Karin Salumäe's life has long been connected to the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, where she worked as a professional singer from 1995 to 2023.
Since 2000, Karin has been active in various cultural groups of Tallinn University - for 15 years she was a vocal teacher of the Tallinn University Chamber Choir, since the fall of 2015 she has been a voice arranger-choirmaster of the Tallinn University Women's Choir and since the 2023/24 season also of the TLÜ BFM mixed choir.
Salumäe also works as a voice arranger for the Tallinn University of Technology Academic Women's Choir, the chamber choir Encore and the St. Michael's Boys' Choir.
In the fall of 2015, Karin Salumäe formed the vocal ensemble Vox Nova from Tallinn University students and alumni, whose guidance has opened the door for Karin, who has a background in classical music, to the exciting world of interpreting pop-jazz ensemble songs.
The mixed ensemble Vox Nova received the Grand Prix award at the 6th international pop/jazz competition festival “Lauluragin 2024” in the choir category.
Working at the university and various collectives has led Karin to artistically and often also organizationally lead various musical projects.
Karin Salumäe's voice can also be heard on Klassikaaraadio “Klassikahommik”
Ivi Rausi is a jazz-singer, improviser, songwriter, arranger, music teacher and vocal coach. She has graduated Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre for three times (music teaching, traditional music, and contemporary improvisation). She has also taken part in different jazz and free impro master classes all over the Europe.
Ivi Rausi likes to experiment and think ‘out of a box'. She believes that every singer and every voice is unique. It is important to find your ‘own song, own style’.
She has published six musical albums.
More information:
Facebook: Ivi Rausi Music
Jere Laukkanen works as Senior Lecturer at the Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Department of Music, teaching composition, arranging, ear-training, music theory, songwriting, and orchestras/ensembles. He was the Head of the Music Department in 2008-2016 and is now the Lecturer in Charge of the Music Writing and Production Major.
Laukkanen is a much sought-after arranger, composer and conductor, and has written for all major Finnish television channels and numerous orchestras, including European Jazz Orchestra, UMO Jazz Orchestra, Vantaa Pops Orchestra, and Lahti Symphony Orchestra. Besides his own band, Jere Laukkanen Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, for which he is the sole composer and arranger, he has conducted jazz orchestras like the European Jazz Orchestra (multinational), UMO Jazz Orchestra (Finland), Berklee Jazz Composers’ Big Band (USA), Radio Romania Big Band, Big Band Conservatori del Liceu (Spain), and Estonian Dream Big Band, to name a few.
English 
Estonian