Ruja - Vanemuine

Art wants to be greater than life, and so it must be. Still, every artist lives in it’s own time.
Ruja is a legend from the 70s and 80s, a group of idealists in an era when the world was
close to absurd.
The prototypes of the main characters have been treated quite freely – every now and
then the words and thoughts come from their own mouths, and sometimes we are
dealing with pure fantasy. We are especially grateful to Rein Rannap and Jaanus Nõgisto
whose abundant memories have significantly opened to us the background and activites
of Ruja.
Visualizing concrete people very truthfully was not our aim. It was more important for
us to show that at a certain moment of time such a band existed. Talented people met
and despite the differencies and the current regime, they managed to create such music
that speaks to us even 30 years later. We will never know what exactly happened in the
rehearsal room, backstage, in bedrooms and pubs for even participants‘ own versions
are often quite controversial. In retrospect the grass is always greener and the skies
more blue, however some wounds never heal. It is essential that such an „energy burst“
as said by one of the characters, did occur and that there was enough energy to last
through many years.
Ene-Liis Semper
Tiit Ojasoo
Ruja
The man of letters, Andres Ehin made a suggestion in 1971 to start using the new word
„ruja“ instead of the foreign word „fantasy“. On the same year the legendary band Ruja
was founded. The band cultivated different rock and pop music styles and it’s creation
combined strong litearay texts with original music.
The band was founded by the composer and pianist Rein Rannap who wrote many of
the band’s very well known songs. Urmas Alender who had an actor’s background gave
his voice to Ruja during the greater part of the band’s existence. Alender drowned in
the „Estonia“ catastrophy on September 28, 1994 and ended the official existence of
the band. Ruja’s guitarrist Jaanus Nõgisto who was part of the band from the beginning
was one of the creators of the band’s original sound. During the almost twenty years of
operation Ruja included a great number of remarkable Estonian rock musicians such as
Margus Kappel, Priit Kuulberg, Andrus Vaht, Igor Garšnek and others.
Tiit Ojasoo was born on August 28, 1977. In 2000 he graduated from the Estonian
Academy of Music and Theatre theatre department, among the graduating class of 19.
After graduation he worked in the Estonian Drama Theatre as director. In Spring 2004 he
was elected the manager of Old Town Studio. Since 2005 Ojasoo is the artistic director
and manager of Theatre NO99. Ojasoo has produced more than twenty productions
in Endla Theatre, Vanemuine Theatre, Von Krahl Theatre, Estonian Drama Theatre and
in NO99. In addition to drama productions, Ojasoo has also directed musicals: „Blood
Brothers” and „Evita” in Vanemuine. The designer and in some cases co-director in most
of his productions is Ene-Liis Semper.
His productions have been invited to festivals in Russia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany,
Finland, Austria and Switzerland.
In Theatre NO99 Ojasoo has produced „Sometimes it feels that life is ending and
there was no love at all”, „The Pillowman”, „Seven Samurai”, „Oil!”, „King Ubu”, „The
Deerslayer”, „Totu on the Moon”, „HEG” and „Pericles”.
Ene-Liis Semper was born on April 4, 1969. In 1995, Semper graduated from the Estonian
Academy of Arts (EAA) majoring in scenography and has thereafter created more
than seventy stage designs in addition to numerous costume designs in theatres all over
Estonia. Futhermore, Semper has internationally been one of the best known Estonian
artists during the past decade who has participated in many exhibitions, including the
Venice Biennale, foremost with her video productions. Semper is also the author of
several performancies.
Since 2005, Semper is the artistic director of theatre NO99.
After the graduation from the EAA, Semper has created stage designs in numerous
theatres and for various directors. Long-time cooperations have developed with directors
who are known for their innovative theatre language such as Mati Unt, Hendrik Toompere
jr and Tiit Ojasoo. Her newest works are „The Death of the Communist” together with
Hendrik Toompere and Shakespeare’s „Pericles” together with Tiit Ojasoo.
Erki Pehk graduated from the Tallinn Conservatoire as choir conductor in 1993 in the
class of professor Ants Üleoja. He studied orchestra conducting with Peeter Lilje, later
under the instruction by Paul Mägi. He has taken supplementary courses in the Latvian
Academy of Music during 1992-1994 and in the London Guildhall School of Music and
Drama in 1997.
Since 1994, he works in the Estonian National Opera. Also he has conducted several
orchestras in Russia, Finland, the Ukraine, Latvia, France (incl. Estonian National
Symphony Orchestra, Latvian National Orchestra, Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra,
Moscow Helikon Opera Orchestra, Krasnojarsk Academical National Symphony
Orchestra, Kievska Kamerata, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Pärnu City Orchestra, etc).
In January 2000, he established the XXI Century Orchestra. Together with this project
orchestra he has given more than 40 different concerts from baroque to pop music,
recorded CDs and film music.
Since the year 2001 he is the artistic director of the Klaudia Taev International
Competition for Opera Singers. Since the year 2005 he is the artistic director of PromFest
– the International Opera Music Festival in Pärnu. He has been the subscriber and the
first presenter of several Estonian compositions.
Palle Palmé is one of the most valued specialists in his field in Sweden. His most
important works are: Loewe’s „My Fair Lady“, Webber’s „The Phantom of the Opera“,
Porter’s „Kiss Me, Kate“, Kander’s „Cabaret“, Weill’s „The Threepenny Opera“, and Elton
John & Tim Rice’s „Aida“. Palle Palmé has also worked as a light designer in the Vanemuine:
Elton John & Tim Rice’s „Aida“, Webber’s „Jesus Christ Superstar“, Bernstein’s
„West Side Story“, Webber`s „Cats“ and Styne`s „Sugar“. He has worked with the
Cullberg Ballet. Palle Palmé was the light designer of the final concert of the Eurovision
song contest held in Stockholm in 2000.