Juko-Mart Kõlar won the competition to select the director of the Tallinn Philharmonic. He submitted a statement saying he did not want to take the position. He does not want his personal issues to affect the philharmonic's work.
Currently, the philharmonic is led by Ivar Ruhno. A new director is still being sought. Juko-Mart Kõlar was supposed to assume office on July 20.
Twenty-six people participated in the competition. Lennart Sundja, head of the Culture and Sports Department, said Kõlar has strong management and music skills. He praised Kõlar's business acumen and ability to generate new ideas.
However, many people opposed Kõlar's selection. The press and social media wrote about it. The reason: Kõlar left his position as director of the Viljandi Culture Academy at the University of Tartu in 2024. It turned out he had secretly monitored a female employee.
One woman told a newspaper that Kõlar had been monitoring her for a long time. He watched what she did and said. Kõlar told the woman he had hired her because he wanted to be close to her. The woman was much younger.
The University of Tartu issued a warning to Kõlar but did not force him to leave. The woman left on her own. Later, Kõlar also left.
Kõlar has worked at the Ministry of Culture and in music organizations. He has also managed other cultural institutions.