Estonian National Opera

This guide to the Estonian National Opera in Tallinn opens with a letter that reached the house's supervisory council in the summer of 2026, written by mezzo-soprano Monika-Evelin Liiv, asking why so many successful Estonian singers were shut out of roles at home. It follows what the newspaper Eesti Ekspress uncovered about casting director Helen Lepalaan's private singing lessons, and what soloists said it took to be cast. You'll hear how the story reached the supervisory board chair, the choir's separate complaint about its conductor, and the director's confirmation that police were called in. Listen for how the gilded auditorium in front of you carried on through it all.