Ave Tölpt, Music Estonia’s Director has previously worked as the CEO of Jazz Estonia, being responsible for the daily management of the organisation, team building and both local and international representation.
Her last workplace featured also working in the cultural sector as the Head of the Exhibition Department in the National Library of Estonia, successfully leading various national and international cooperation projects for many years. Amongst other roles, she contributed to the field of music as a guest author and radio host at Estonian Public Broadcasting, Klassikaraadio as well in other media during her times as a journalism volunteer at Jazzkaar festival. She is the first Estonian Ambassador for Keychange, a global network and movement working towards gender equality in the music industry, and the Member of the Council of Advisers at Georg Ots Tallinn Music College. Ave has been building her expertise around cultural leadership and international cooperation.
Ave Tölpt comes from an academic background in German Languages and Cultures, minoring in Estonian philology (BA) and Advertising and Imagology (MA), both from Tallinn University. In 2021, she was selected to take part in a national development programme for Estonian cultural leaders initiated by the Estonian Ministry of Culture.