For years, Merko has made a point to sponsor fields that help train the next generation of civil engineers. We have also contributed to projects in cultural areas. By joining the two fields – youth and culture – we came up with the idea to create opportunities for young musicians, and so we provided support for the Cultural Partnership Foundation and brought the programme “Klassikatähed” (Classical Stars) back to the public for the first time after a five-year hiatus.

Klassikatähed is a series developed in 2013 in association with Estonian Television, Klassikaraadio (classical music radio station operated by the public broadcaster) and Eesti Kontsert concert agency. The 2025 season consisted of several TV rounds, a concert round at the Tallinn School of Music and Ballet (MUBA) and a final concert at the Estonia Concert Hall. For the first time not a single competitor was disqualified and all were able to show off their skills in the final, where they were backed by the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra.

A record number of young musicians vied at the competition – a total of 31. Eighteen of them were invited by the preliminary jury to perform at the Estonia Concert Hall, where six young musicians were picked to perform on the air – guitarist Harald Trass from the Cologne Music Academy, the clarinettist Isabella Runge of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, flautist Tuule-Helin Krigul of the Sibelius Academy, soprano Annabel Soode of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre and percussionist Karl Martin Tombak and pianist Havryil Sydoryk of the Tallinn School of Music and Ballet.

First prize overall at “Klassikatähed” in 2025 went to the pianist Havryil Sydoryk.

Photos: Ken Mürk, ERR