Named for Ester Mägi, “First Lady of Estonian music,” the Mägi Ensemble is a women’s chamber choir that performs compositions from the Baltics. Led by Heather MacLaughlin Garbes, the ensemble’s focus on Baltic music stems from the strong relationship between the choral and the Baltic studies departments at the University of Washington and an interest in the power of music to unite people and preserve cultural heritage.

This past September, the Mägi Ensemble returned from a tour and cultural exchange in Riga, Latvia. In recent years, the ensemble released its first CD, Baltic Sounds, participated in the Latvian National Song Festival, and performed at Seattle Mariners’ games and Baltic and Scandinavian community celebrations. The Mägi Ensemble is an Affiliated Artist and a Resident Ensemble of Thomsen Chapel at St. Mark’s Cathedral.