November 8.-10. 2012, the Tartu H.Elleri NIM. School of Music organised FESTARI, an International chamber music festival. It is long-term collaborative project, which began in 2006, between three music schools: Espoo Music Institute (Finland), Tartu Heino Eller Music School (Estonia) and Jazep Medinši Music School No.1. Riga (Latvia). The Festival was attended by students aged 8 to 25. The main goal of the festival is to increase the appreciation of chamber music among young people, but it also aims to improve pedagogical experience and music education for teachers.
62 students participated in the festival, and in addition to the schools in Espoo, Tartu, Riga, students from other music schools in Tallinn also attended (Tallinn G. Ots Music School). There were four full-length concert in Tartu concert halls and master classes with Natalya Sakkos (Estonian Music and Theatre Academy) and Professor Petras Kunca (Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre). Prof. Kunca also gave a lecture entitled "Chamber Music Teaching: Communication Psychology aspects of the concept of empathy and chamber music teaching and learning. " FESTARI has become an important international chamber music event and over the years has proven to be a sustainable part of the pedagogical landscape in the Baltic region.
For photos, see Photo Gallery.