Maano Männi (1966) graduated from the Estonian Academy of Music (1992, violin class of Prof. Jüri Gerretz). He has been the concertmaster of the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, currently he is a concertmaster of the Vaasa City Orchestra (Finland).

As an active chamber musician, Männi performs with renowned interprets such as Ralf Gothoni, Risto-Matti Marin, Torleif Thedéen, Yuval Gotlibovich, Boris Garlitsky, Camilla Nylund. In 2001, Maano Männi founded the Tobiase String Quartet with the cellist Aare Tammesalu which has performed in several European countries (e.g. Konzerthaus Berlin in 2015).

As a teacher Maano Männi has worked at Tallinn Music High School, Yrkeshögskolan Novia (Finland), the Estonian Academy of Theatre and Music as well as in several master classes (e.g., at the Central Conservatory of Music, Middle School in Beijing, 2016).

Maano Männi has recorded for several record labels, and on the album “Kuus aastaaega”; (Six Seasons+) he performs works by Astor Piazzolla and Evald Vain as a soloist and conductor of the Pärnu City Orchestra. “Six Seasons+ to every record shelf!” (Sirp, 2013/10/04). Maano also works as an orchestral arranger, for example, he solos in Toivo Kuula’s violin piece “Notturno” on the album “Finnish Lyricism and Romance”; which was orchestrated by Männi himself.

Männi has improved his skills at the orchestral conducting courses of Jorma Panula, Leonid Grin and Ilmar Tõnisson. He enjoys synthesising different musical styles and creating thematic concert programmes. The Wish Concerts conducted by Männi have attracted large audiences, where he plays the role of the conductor, soloist and event host. In 2019, Maano wrote a comprehensive review of the “Seven Days of Summer” at Pärnu Music Festival; in the magazine Teater.Muusika.Kino and in 2021, commissioned by ESTA, a comprehensive review of the Estonian String Players Competition 2020.

Maano Männi is the artistic director of the Tallinn Chamber Music Festival (organised by PLMF) since 2020 and the artistic director of the Toivo Kuula Days to be held in Finland in November 2022.