Although Indrek Vau has given numerous solo concerts, he is mostly known as a brilliant orchestra soloist. At the age of 20 he started working in the trumpet section of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, in 1993 he became the 1st trumpet. Vau has also played in many other orchestras, such as the Symphony Orchestra of Sibelius Academy, Tapiola Sinfonietta, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of Finnish National Opera and Turkku City Orchestra. Since 2000 Indrek Vau has been back in the position of 1st trumpet in the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra. Every season he gives recitals with the orchestra and his ensemble partners Mati Mikalai and Marko Martin. He has participated in several projects as a soloist and ensemble player (Nyyd Ensemble, Hortus Musicus, Concerto Grosso, etc).In 2000 Indrek Vau started teaching at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. He is a member of Estonian Association of Performers and Estonian Music Council.
He continued his master studies in Germany, in Nürnberg by prof. Christoph Braun. In 2011 he got his job at the Estonian National Opera Orchestra and he finished his master studies in Tallinn. In the same year he got his position at the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra.
István participated in masterclasses with Friedrich Reinhold, Gábor Tarkövi, Gábor Boldóczki, Lukas Beno. Played in several Orchestras like Recreation - Grosses Orchester Graz, Nürnberg Philharmonic Orchestra, Nürnberg Symphony Orchestra, Regensburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Nordic Symphony Orchestra, and he played several solo with orchestras in Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Ukraine, Chech republic.
He participated in master classes of Stefan Dohr, Nagy Miklós, Lissa Ford, Frank Lloyd.He played in orchestras like Pori Symphony Orchestra, Nordic Symphony Orchestra. Today he is principal horn player at the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra.
During 1999–2001, Kontus studied at the Estonian Academy of Music with Heiki Kalaus and then went to Denmark. In 2006, he graduated from Det Jyske Musikkonservatorium with Niels-Ole Bo Johansen and Rolf Sandmark.
Andres Kontus has gained recognition at several competitions: first prizes at the national competition for wind players (1997 and 1999), at the Andrejs Jurjans International Competition for Wind-Instruments (2006) and at the competition of Estonian wind instrument players and percussionists (2006). He also won the second prize at the international trombone players’ competition in Riga (1999), the Yamaha Scolarship (2002) and the prize of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra at the competition-festival for young performers “Con Brio” (2006).
Andres Kontus has played at the Aarhus and Aalborg Symphony Orchestra, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Randers Chamber Orchestra, Aarhus Sinfonietta and Klüvers Big Band. Since 2005, Kontus has been working as the principal trombonist of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and since 2006 as a teacher at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.
In addition, he is the keyboard player in a rock band Contus Firmus.
In Hungary he has studied piano with Ottilia Radics; percussion, timpani and chamber music with Csaba Joó and István Szabó; orchestra material, etude and technique development with Gábor Kérdő.
He continued his studies in Finland, he studied percussion, orchestra material and timpani with Pasi Suomalainen, Antti Rislakki and Olli-Pekka Martikainen; timpani with Lassi Erkkilä; and traditional African and Latin-American hand drums with Sami Koskela.
He has obtained the following prizes: 1st prize at the National University Percussion Solo Competition in Hungary (2005), Semifinals at the International Marimba Duo Competition in Belgium (2004), 3rd Prize at the National University Percussion Solo Competition in Hungary (2004), and 2nd Prize/Special Award at the National University Percussion SoloCompetition in Hungary (2003).
Csaba Marján has attended many masterclasses, and courses held by Robin Engelman, Anders Lougin, Nancy Zeltsman, Keiko Abe, Eric Sammut, Ady Morag…
Early in his studies, he started to work for orchestras such as Szabolcs Symphonic Orchestra, in the Debrecen Symphonic Orchestra, and in the Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra.
Between 2005 and 2008 Mr. Marján was a member of the SONUS Percussion Ensemble. This group was formed in 2005 in Debrecen under the guidance of István Szabó. The main purpose of this group was to perform and to popularize the contemporary music for percussion.This ensemble performed at a number of festivals and concerts in Hungary, and abroad as Poland, Slovakia, Japan. This was the period when Mr. Marján started to be interested in composing. As a result, he made several transcriptions for this ensemble and this work inspired him to start to work on his own musical ideas. His first composition for marimba solo ,entitled Niflheim, was born in 2008. After it had been published by Edition Svitzer, the piece was selected to be the obligatory piece at the 9th Edition Italy Percussion Competition in Fermo, Italy in 2011.
During his studies in Finland he has played in the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, in the Helsinki Radio Symphonic Orchestra, and in the Avanti! Chamber Music Ensemble. From 2010 He was employed by Budafoki Dohnányi Ernő Symphonic Orchestra (Budapest) where he had a chance to play together with such artists and musicians as the pianist and conductor Zoltán Kocsis, the jazz pianist Szakcsi Lakatos Béla and world-famous pop musician Sting. At that time Mr. Marján was also a teacher in Rácz Aladár and Ádám Jenő music school. Contemporarily he collaborated with numerous orchestras of Budapest such as the Budapest National Opera Orchestra, the Máv Symphonic orchestra and the Danubia Symphonic Orchestra. He is currently employed by the Estonian National Opera in Tallinn.
