Indrek Leivategija (cello) started his cello studies at the age of 5 at the Tartu Music School of Heino Eller in Reet Mets’ cello class, which he graduated in 2005. In 2005/2006, he studied at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre under Henry-David Varema, before moving to Germany, where he completed his master’s degree in cello at the Munich University of Music and Theatre in 2013 under Professor Wen-Sinn Yang. He furthered his studies with Natalia Gutman at the Fiesole School of Music in Italy. Indrek has participated in numerous master classes and competitions in Estonia and abroad, where he has been awarded several prizes. He has made recordings for Estonian National Broadcasting, Bavarian Radio and German Radio.
From 2008 to 2010 Indrek was playing by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and since 2012 he has been the associate principal cellist of the cello section of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra. Since August 2021, Indrek also serves as the guest principal cellist of the cello section of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, working with two orchestras. In addition, as concertmaster of the cello section, he is a frequent guest with many top German orchestras (Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig, Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, etc.).
Leivategija is active as a teacher, soloist and chamber musician and is a frequent guest at festivals in Europe and abroad. In addition, he coaches cellists in the German National Youth Orchestra and the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra Academy and teaches in the “Eller Academy” programme at the Tartu Music School. Since 2022 he teaches at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.
