CV & Contact

 Kristi Mühling is one of the few performers of the Estonian chromatic kannel whose work spans multiple musical styles. She has commissioned and premiered numerous compositions for the kannel, both as a soloist and as a chamber musician. Kristi Mühling is also the founder of the chromatic kannel program at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, where she has been teaching since the program’s establishment
in 2002.

Education and Teaching Career
Kristi Mühling was born in 1971 in Tallinn and began studying the kannel at the age of 10 under Els Roode at the Tallinn School of Music. She continued her education at the Tallinn Georg Ots Music School. From 1991 to 2000, she studied at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland, earning a Master’s Degree as a kannel soloist in the class of Ritva Koistinen. In 2000, she was awarded first prize at the Jonas Švedas Contest for Baltic and Finnish kannel players in Vilnius, Lithuania. Since 2002, Kristi Mühling has been teaching kannel at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, and since 1997 at the Tallinn College of Music and Ballet.

Professional Engagements
Kristi Mühling maintains an active performance schedule as both a soloist and chamber musician, performing regularly in Estonia and internationally. She is committed to promoting and expanding the possibilities of the Estonian chromatic kannel, frequently collaborating with composers to enrich the instrument’s repertoire. She has premiered many new works by composers such as Mirjam Tally, Lauri Jõeleht, Helena Tulve, Tatjana Kozlova-Johannes, Malle Maltis, Märt-Matis Lill, Kristjan Kõrver, John Buckley (Ireland), among others. In addition to her role in the ensemble Una Corda (kannel, harp, harpsichord), she participates in various other musical projects. She has performed as a soloist with the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra (ENSO), NYYD Ensemble, and Sacrum Facere—a project initiated by jazz musician and composer Maria Faust.

From 2002 to 2016, she was a member of the contemporary music ensemble Resonabilis (kannel – Kristi Mühling, flute – Tarmo Johannes, voice – Iris Oja, cello – Aare Tammesalu), which specialized in original compositions, many by young Estonian composers. Resonabilis performed frequently both in Estonia and internationally, including at the 24th Fadjr International Music Festival (Tehran, Iran, 2008), Vale of Glamorgan Festival (Wales, 2010), Usedomer Musik Festival (Germany, 2013), and Contemporary Music Festival (Chișinău, Moldova, 2014). The ensemble also collaborated often with visual artists and theatre professionals. In 2012, Resonabilis received the Annual Award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia for excellence in contemporary Estonian music performance. In 2013, they premiered Kristjan Kõrver’s chamber opera Raud-Ants (Iron Ants) at the Saaremaa Opera Festival, which received a special prize from the Estonian Theatre Union.

The chamber ensemble Una Corda (www.unacorda.net, founded in 2009; kannel – Kristi Mühling, harp – Liis Viira/Katri Tikka, harpsichord – Ene Nael) performs original compositions and arrangements with a focus on Estonian music. The ensemble regularly tours in Estonia and abroad, appearing at events such as the Contemporary Harpsichord Music Festival Procembalo (Parma, Italy, 2013), Festival Nordlichter (Berlin, Germany, 2014), and the Global Harp Congress (Sydney, Australia, 2014). In 2019, Una Corda received the Annual Award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia for their contribution to promoting Estonian contemporary music.

In 2023, Estonian President Alar Karis honored Kristi Mühling with the Fifth Class Order of the White Star for her outstanding contributions to the development and popularization of kannel music.