Viljar Weimann, Principal Second Violin

Estonian born Viljar Puu Weimann is currently Music Director/Conductor of the Shoals Symphony at UNA in Florence, AL (USA), where he also holds the position of strings professor. For nine years he worked as Conductor of the Huntsville Opera Theater and for twelve years as Assistant Conductor of the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra. For eight years he was Music Director/Conductor of the Tennessee Valley Music Festival, held annually in Huntsville, Alabama while also serving as the Music Director/Conductor of the Huntsville Youth Orchestra.

He began his music studies at the age of eight, finished secondary school at Tallinn Music High School and continued his study of violin and choral conducting at the Tallinn Music Academy.

Mr. Weimann immigrated to Canada in 1982 and completed his undergraduate work in violin at Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, OK, in 1987. He earned his master’s degree in orchestral conducting from the Cleveland Institute of Music in 1991. His additional education includes orchestral conducting with Maestro Charles Bruck at the Pierre Monteux School in Maine; with John Barnum at the Royal Conservatory in Toronto, Canada, with Antonin Wit and Kirk Trevor at the International Conductor’s Workshop in Zlin, Czech Republic, with Gustav Mayer at the International Conductor’s Workshop in Canada, with James Paul, Michael Morgan and Robert Spano at the Donald Thulean Conducting Workshop in Atlanta, USA.

Mr. Weimann has guest conducted orchestras in Estonia, Czech Republic, Canada and various orchestras in the USA. This past summer he was invited to participate in a highly selective First International Bela Bartok Opera Conductor’s Competition in Cluji, Romania. During the 2005/06 Season he guest conducted the orchestra Sonico in Tallinn, Estonia.