News

Tõnn Kuuli will take up the role of Director and Member of the Board of Music Estonia on 1st November, succeeding the current Director, Ave Sophia Demelemester. Kuuli will lead Music Estonia into its next phase of development, focusing on strengthening the organisation’s impact and membership and expanding opportunities for the Estonian music industry both domestically and internationally.

As Director of Music Estonia, Kuuli will be responsible for the organisation’s strategic management, team, activities and overall budget management. His responsibilities will include member engagement and community development, strengthening cooperation with Estonian and international partners, and representing Music Estonia and the Estonian music industry more broadly. Advocacy for the sector and cooperation with the public sector, funders and other music organisations will also be key areas of focus.

Tõnn Kuuli has extensive experience in management, media, production and entertainment, with music, events and television all playing an important role throughout his career. He has worked at Telia Estonia in social media and content marketing and later as Executive Producer for television and multimedia. In recent years, Kuuli has worked as a producer, overseeing the production of television broadcasts – including the Viljandi Folk Music Festival, NOËP’s stadium concert and Tallinn Music Week (TMW) – as well as television series and various internal and external communications events.

Within the music sector, Kuuli has been involved in several major events and productions, including the Juu Jääb and Beach Grind festivals. His connection to music also extends to his earlier work in club culture: through the company Teine Noorus, Kuuli was involved in launching the concert venue Club Studio and served as its Director, where he was responsible for leading and motivating the team. In addition, he has worked for many years as a freelance event marketer.

Aivar Sirelpuu, Chairman of the Council of Music Estonia, says: “When selecting Music Estonia’s new Director, it was important for us to find someone who could identify new opportunities for the organisation’s development and bring together and engage a wide range of stakeholders. What convinced us about Kuuli was his management experience, practical and solution-oriented mindset, and excellent ability to connect with different people. His background in media, production and entrepreneurship gives him not only a practical connection to the music sector but also a broad perspective on it. We look forward to seeing what the next chapter in the organisation’s development will bring together with the team and members. We are very grateful to the previous Director, Ave Sophia Demelemester, who led the organisation for two terms, and we would also like to thank all the other excellent candidates who took part in the selection process.”

Incoming Director Tõnn Kuuli says: “This is certainly an exciting challenge, and it is a great honour to have been selected for the role. My focus will definitely be on people, collaboration within the industry and finding new opportunities across different sectors. Ave and her entire team have done an excellent job, so I will do my very best to maintain this high standard going forward.”

Current Director Ave Sophia Demelemester will continue in her role until the end of October. The handover will take place during the second half of October to ensure the smooth continuation of the organisation’s activities and partner relationships.

Demelemester says: “Over the past few years, Music Estonia has grown in terms of its activities, international partnerships and its role within the Estonian music sector. I am very pleased to hand over the leadership of the organisation to Tõnn Kuuli, and I believe that his diverse experience in people-centred leadership and collaboration within the sector will bring new perspectives to Music Estonia’s next phase of development. I wish Tõnn and the entire team every success, and I will certainly continue to follow and support Music Estonia’s work.”