Conductor Norman Reintamm on teachable moments and taking risks

VINCENT TEETSOV

Sometimes, on the path to achieving our dreams, there are moments where things reach a standstill, and the only way to proceed is to venture into something unknown. This is what Norman Reintamm did as a young man when he moved to a still-occupied Estonia in the late 80s.

Readers of Eesti Elu will know about Reintamm’s decorated career as a conductor and organist in Canada. He’s conducted for the National Ballet of Canada, the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra, and the Orpheus Choir of Toronto. But what does the path leading up to these achievements look like? Though he would laugh this off in humility, Reintamm’s memories of working in Europe show ambition and are a source of guidance for anyone today who is contemplating new career opportunities, especially young artists who are interested in working abroad.

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Norman Reintamm at the 1992 Estonian National Opera premiere of Kevade by Ülo Vinter.