Mart Sander
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Martin Laurent Sander | |
 Mart Sander
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| Born | August 10, 1967  Tallinn, Estonia |
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| Occupation | Singer, Actor, Director, Author |
| Website www.martsander.com |
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Martin Laurent Sander (born August 10, 1967 in Tallinn, Estonia) is an Estonian singer, actor, author, conductor and television host.
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[edit] Life and career
Sander began his musical education at the age of 7, studying violin at the Tallinn Music School, followed by terms at the State Choreography School, and the Estonian Music Academy where he majored in piano and conducting.[1]
[edit] Stage, film and television
Sander was a member of the Estonian National Opera from 1986-92.[1] Since the early 1990s, when Estonia regained its independence, Sander has performed in a number of European venues in English-language comic operas (especially those of Gilbert and Sullivan) and Edwardian musical comedy, including several roles in amateur productions at the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival.[2] He also sang the role of the Spanish Officer in a concert production of The Contrabandista in 2002 at Cheltenham, England, at the Sir Arthur Sullivan Society Festival, with professional soloists and the Cotswold Savoyards (the first modern professional performance of this comic opera)[3] and with orchestras such as Estonian Dream Big Band.[4]
Sander has appeared in several films, including Kallis härra Q (Dear Mister Moon) (1998) as Saara's and Sigrid's father, Senkiföldje (Parallel Lives) (1993) as a sympathetic Nazi,[5] and Iskelmäprinssi (1991) as Martti. He has also directed three films, including 1992's Varas (The Thief)[6] and the controversial Berlin 1945: Musik Unter Bomben (2007).[7]
In 1993 he appeared on American television for the first time in the made-for-cable movie Candles in the Dark, which starred Swiss actor Maximilian Schell and American actress Alyssa Milano.[8] Other TV appearances included Eurolaul (1993) and the TV series Tantsud tähtedega (Dancing with the Stars), which he continues to host.[9] He also hosted Tähed muusikas (Stars in the Music) from 1997 to 2006.[10] Both Tantsud tähtedega and Tähed muusikas aired on Estonia's Kanal 2 station.[11]
In 2004, Sander was featured in the BBC documentary Estonia Dreams of Eurovision! (directed by American filmmaker Marina Zenovich) about the preparations for the 2002 Eurovision Song Contest in which Estonia was the host nation.[12] In May 2008 he will be featured as the celebrity guest in the Deal Or No Deal World Tour special on NBC.[citation needed]
[edit] Conducting and recording
In 2000, Sander helped establish, and began to conduct, the Tallinn-based Bel-Etage Concert Orchestra, which has performed many works of Edwardian musical comedy and several Gilbert and Sullivan operas.[13] In 2004, Sander and Bel-Etage released their first album in Great Britain entitled The Monckton Album, with selections from three musicals composed by Lionel Monckton, on the Divine Art Records label, receiving many favorable reviews and was a Gramophone magazine Critic's Choice 2004 selection.[14] Also in 2004, Bel-Etage songs from Edwardian musical comedies were featured on Brian Kay's BBC program.[15]
In 2005, Sander established the Swing Swindlers dance orchestra.[16] In 2005, the Swing Swindlers issued an album in the UK called Five-Fifteen: A Tribute to the BBC Dance Orchestra[17] Another album, released by Divine Art in 2007, The Finck Album, is dedicated to the music of British composer Herman Finck.[18]
Sander met Queen Elizabeth II on her state visit to Estonia in October 2006.
[edit] Writing and painting
Sander has written novels in English: Mercator, published in 1994[19] and Lux Gravis, 2007, as well as a collection of short stories, Z, The Terminal Letter, 2005.[20]
Sander is also a painter and had an exhibition (copies of old masters) at the Estonian State Art Museum in spring 2006. [21]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Sander's website
- ^ Review of Sander in a role at the Festival
- ^ Sir Arthur Sullivan Society Magazine, #55, Autumn 2002, pp. 2-3
- ^ Article noting Sander's performance with EDBB
- ^ Article about Parallel Lives (in Estonian)
- ^ Koduvald: Vihma käest telestuudiosse jõululauluvõistlusele.
- ^ Clip of the film Berlin 1945
- ^ Variety
- ^ Mart Sander at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ Postimees
- ^ Kanal 2
- ^ New York Times Movies
- ^ Bel-Etage official website
- ^ Reviews of the Monckton album at the Divine Art Website
- ^ Archive of Brian Kay's BBC program
- ^ Swing Swindlers at the Divine Art website
- ^ Review of Swing Swindlers' album Five-Fifteen
- ^ Täisinfovorm discography
- ^ Sander, Mart with contributor Tõnu Sikk. Mercator: 2 novelli (1994) Underwelt ISBN 9985600274
- ^ Sander, Mart with contributors Deirdre Kincaid and Arthur Kincaid. Z, the Terminal Letter: Short Stories (2005) Martin & Martin ISBN 9949108659
- ^ "Mitmekülgne Mart Sander loob vaimustusega" at the Postimees website
