Time Machine: Preserving the sonic history of Estonians in Canada

VINCENT TEETSOV

Back in March 2020, the life of Georg Ots was discussed in relation to opera history in Estonia and Canada. But among Estonian-Canadians, there is one particular cultural figure who needs to be mentioned with regard to opera – Irene Loosberg.

Irene Louise Loosberg was born into a musical family on August 9th, 1922 in Tallinn. Here, she completed her secondary education at Elfriede Lenderi Eragümnaasium. As thousands of Estonians did, in 1944, she fled to Sweden. Then, in 1952, she and her family emigrated to Montréal, continuing to Toronto two years later. This was where she studied at The Royal Conservatory of Music, which led to her career in the Canadian Opera Company. As was elucidated in an Eesti Raadio interview with Irene and her husband Paul Loosberg in 2001 (https://arhiiv. err.ee/vaata/vello-mikkser-vello-mikkser-irene-ja-paul-loosberg), her voice not only enthralled those in Estonian diaspora communities, but on prominent stages in North America like Carnegie Hall.

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Cover for Irene Loosberg’s album, Songs.

Photo: discogs.com