Kalev Kuljus has studied oboe at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, the Lyon National Higher Conservatory of Music and Danse and the Karlsruhe University of Music and he has participated in many international master classes. He has won several prizes, including first prize at the Estonian Wind Competition (1990), the Crusell Wind Competition in Finland (1999) and the Prague Spring Competition in the Czech Republic (2001).
Kuljus has been solo oboist of the Filharmonica Arturo Toscanini Orchestra in Italy and concertmaster of the oboe section of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra. As a guest solo oboist, he has appeared with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic and he has played in many other orchestras. Since 2002, Kuljus has been principal oboist of the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra.
In 2017, he opened the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg with Benjamin Britten’s Metamorphosis No. 1 ‘Pan’ for solo oboe. As a highly acclaimed soloist, he has performed with a wide range of orchestras and collaborated with renowned conductors such as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Claudio Abbado, Sir Simon Rattle and others, as well as Neeme Järvi, Paavo Järvi, Eri Klas, Tõnu Kaljuste and others.
Kuljus has given solo recitals in Europe, the Far East and South America. He has had works written for him by composers such as Mari Vihmand, Tõnu Kõrvits, Helena Tulve, Mart Siimer and Erkki-Sven Tüür, whose oboe concerto was premiered by Kuljus as soloist at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg.
