Ivari Ilja resigns as Estonia National Opera board chair

Ivari Ilja resigned as chair of the Estonia National Opera board on Tuesday, ERR reported, after Postimees reported that the board planned to remove him.

Postimees reported that six votes in favour of his removal were available on the board. Shortly before the report was published, Ilja told fellow board members he was stepping down.

In a social media post, Ilja said he no longer considered it possible to continue serving with the board in its current composition after an extraordinary meeting on October 8.

The board is due to meet on Thursday to discuss, among other matters, opera soloists’ criticism of the opera house’s management. The Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, which had selected Ilja for the board, chose cellist Henry-David Varema as its new board member on Tuesday.