Ivi Rausi and Raun Juurikas: “Warm Christmas”

Ivi Rausi – vocals
Raun Juurikas – piano

“Warm Christmas” peers into the human soul amid the magical, sacred stillness of the winter solstice and Christmas. It is a strange time—warm and cold at once, hurried and contemplative, hidden and open. When you think about it, what is human life but relationships, relationships and relationships? Our relationship with ourselves, with another person, with others, with nature and with the greater spirit. When I speak to you, am I speaking to myself—or to another person, or to Him? When I see you, whom do I really see? Myself? When I wait for you, could it be that I am actually waiting for someone else?

At the heart of the concert are songs composed by Timo Steiner. Moving between classical music, pop and jazz, the sound is warm, airy and reflective. Ivi Rausi’s sensitive, improvisational vocals meet Raun Juurikas’s nuanced piano playing. The felt-covered piano sounds like velvet snow—a soft fabric around the turns of the melody, leaving room for words, silence and music born in the moment.

Ivi Rausi is a jazz singer, improviser and educator whose musical style weaves together improvisation, sensitivity to words and a strong emotional presence. She has released nine albums, four featuring her original compositions, and has collaborated with many Estonian musicians. In 2026, she received the Estonian Jazz Award for Jazz Promoter of the Year.

Raun Juurikas is a pianist, composer and arranger whose work brings together jazz, improvisation and a contemporary sound. His playing is marked by improvisational freedom, emotional sensitivity and openness to different genres.

“Warm Christmas” is a concert about looking into silence, closeness and longing—a musical resting place in the darkest, yet brightest, time of winter.