Indrek Leivategija

Indrek Leivategija is a renowned Estonian cellist and a frequent guest principal cellist with leading German orchestras, including the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Stuttgart Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. He is also a regular guest at festivals throughout Europe and beyond.

Leivategija began studying the cello at the age of five at the Heino Eller Tartu Music School under Reet Mets. He continued his studies at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre with Henry-David Varema, later earning a master’s degree in 2013 from the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich in the class of Professor Wen-Sinn Yang. He has also pursued further studies with Natalia Gutman at the Fiesole Music School in Italy.

He is a prizewinner at several international competitions and has recorded for Estonian Public Broadcasting, Bavarian Broadcasting, and German Radio. From 2008 to 2010, he was a member of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Since 2012, he has served as associate principal cellist of the Bamberg Symphony, and from August 2025, he will assume the position of principal cellist with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra. 

In addition to his performing career, he teaches at the Heino Eller Tartu Music School as part of the "Eller Academy" program and mentors young cellists in the German National Youth Orchestra and the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra Academy.