Estonian-born Viljar Puu Weimann enjoyed a multifaceted career as a conductor and violinist for more than two decades: he founded and served as Music Director/Conductor of Orchestra SulPonticello in Decatur, AL. ​For ten years, he worked as the Music Director of the Shoals Symphony in Florence, AL. He was an artistic director, assistant conductor, opera company conductor, music educator, conductor/director of a youth orchestra, principal second violinist, and a university professor. He earned respect and admiration for conducting well over 200 performances of classical, pop, and educational concerts. Equally well-rehearsed in symphonic as well as operatic literature, Mr. Weimann conducted over 100 fully staged performances of various operas. His concerts have been critically acclaimed as “powerfully rousing” and “masterfully put together for full audience satisfaction.”

Mr. Weimann’s international conducting debut was in 1992, when he guest-conducted the Estonian National Opera Company Orchestra at the Gala Celebration concert in Tallinn, Estonia. He then conducted orchestras in Poland, the Czech Republic, Canada, Romania, Estonia, and the USA. His Russian conducting debut was with the St. Petersburg State Academic Symphony Orchestra in a well-received all-Russian program.

Mr. Weimann’s music studies began in Estonia, where he finished secondary school at the exclusive Tallinn Music High School, won First place in the Estonian National Young Artists Competition in violin, and continued his study of violin and choral conducting with the highly accomplished faculty at the Tallinn Music Academy. His active conducting experience began at that time as music director/conductor of a 40-voice men’s chorus in the fine European tradition.

Mr. Weimann immigrated from Soviet Estonia to Canada in 1982. He earned his Master’s Degree in orchestral conducting from the prestigious Cleveland Institute of Music , graduating in 1991 with distinction. His additional education includes two summers at the Pierre Monteux School under the tutelage of Maestro Charles Buck and a series of Master Classes with Antonin Wit, Kirk Trevor, Gustav Mayer, Alexander Polyanichko, James Paul, Robert Spano, and John Barnum.

Mr. Weimann was the founding director of Estonian Composers in North America, a foundation based in Toronto, Canada, dedicated to the recording and promotion of North American Estonian composers' works. He produced one CD recording, conducting Collegium Consonante of Tallinn, Estonia, in the works of Canadian Composer Kaljo Raid. He was also the President of the Estonian Arts Center, based in Toronto, Canada.

The Decatur Orchestra Sul Ponticello is forever grateful to be a part of his legacy.