11th "Classical Hugs" International Music Festival promotes cross-cultural musical connections between Estonia, Western Europe, Asia and America.

 The festival will feature world-class performances on violin, viola, cello and piano. The festival performers come from Estonia, the United States, Ukraine, Switzerland, Austria, England, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Ireland, Finland, Portugal, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Serbia, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea, Japan, China, India, Indonesia and Australia.

The spectacular concert tour will take place in three Estonian cities: Tallinn, Tartu, Kohtla-Järve, and in Riga, Latvia. 

 The festival orchestras include:

Narva City Symphony Orchestra (conductor Anatoli Schura)

International Orchestra "Klassika Kütkes" (conductors Lilyan Kaiv, Rui Marques, and Chaerin Kim)

 "Klassika Kütkes" International Orchestra was created in 2022. The orchestra includes musicians from Estonia's oldest orchestra, the Vanemuine Symphony Orchestra (founded in 1908), the Narva City Symphony Orchestra, and 15 top Estonian virtuosos.

 Soloists and guest performers.

Michael Bulychev-Okser - an internationally acclaimed American pianist, composer and producer who performs on the world's biggest concert stages. He is also the founder and artistic director of the "Classical Hugs" International Music Festival.

Miriam Davies is a British violinist and model, known for her dazzling beauty and extraordinary musical interpretations.

Lewis Kaplan is a legendary American violinist and professor at the Juilliard School in New York, who will give a lecture on the art of J.S. Bach.

Alexander Markov (USA) is a world-class violin virtuoso.

Eminent Turkish pianist, Gülsin Onay, is one of the best interpreters of Chopin's music of today. 

Swiss cellist Denis Severin, Professor at the Universities of Geneva and Bern.

German violist and concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Wilfried Strehle.

Portuguese virtuoso pianist - Bernardo Santos - President of the Association of World Music Competitions.

Principal Conductor of the Stavanger Orchestra (Norway), Rui Marques.

Norway's Marimbaphone virtuoso, Maria Teigen.

Indrek Leivategija is a guest performer at the festival, concertmaster of the ERSO cello group, the Bamberg Orchestra and the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra.

Repertoire

International Orchestra "Klassika Kütkes" performs works by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Grieg and Mendelssohn. In addition, Arvo Pärt's "Fratres" and the works of Aleksei Shor, who is currently one of the most played composers in the world will be performed.

 Cultural message and mission

 a hug is a simple expression of human warmth. A classic hug is an expression of affection through music. The festival's mission is to show how music can bring love and peace to the whole world.