Kaspar Mänd, recognized as one of Estonia’s most dynamic and versatile conductors, has established a reputation in both symphonic and operatic realms.

He is co-recipient of the 2025 Estonian State Culture Award for the production of Alisson Kruusmaa’s/Jevgeni Grib’s ballet “Light from the End of the World” at the Estonian National Ballet.

In 2024, Kaspar Mänd launched an exciting new chapter in his artistic journey with the founding of Ludensemble—a collective dedicated to interdisciplinary collaboration. Adapting in size from soloist to chamber orchestra, the ensemble focuses primarily on commissioning, performing, and recording contemporary works. In its debut season, Ludensemble has worked with composers Kirke Karja (b. 1989) and Madli Marje Gildemann (b. 1994), and has performed music by György Ligeti, Stephen Hartke, Arnold Schönberg and Frank Zappa.

Previously, from 2019 to 2023, Mänd served as the chief conductor of Pärnu City Orchestra, earning the Estonian Cultural Endowment award in 2021 for commissioning and premiering numerous orchestral works.

Symphonic repertoire has always been central to his musical focus. In 2016 he founded the New Street Orchestra (Uue Tänava Orkester), leading them in performances of the complete cycles of symphonies by Beethoven and Mendelssohn.

Since 2014 Kaspar Mänd has been resident conductor at the Estonian National Opera. He has conducted around 50 different productions, including the world premiere of "A Nation Born of Shock” by Manfred MIM, and premieres of Ullmann’s “The Emperor of Atlantis”, Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet”,Tchaikovsky/Schiavoni “Alice in Wonderland” Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker”, Lehar’s “The Merry Widow” and others. His repertoire includes Wagner’s “Lohengrin”, Debussy “Pelléas et Mélisande”, Ravel “L’enfant et les Sortileges” and “L’heure espagnole”, Verdi’s “La traviata”, “Il trovatore”, “Giovanna d’Arco”,

“Elisir d’amore”, “Don Pasquale” by Donizetti, “Romeo and Juliet” by Gounod, “The long Christmas Dinner” by Hindemith, “West Side Story” by Bernstein and ballets “Swan Lake”, “The Sleeping Beauty” by Tchaikovsky, “Giselle”, “Le Corsaire” by Adam, “Medea” by Stravinski/Schiavoni and many others.

His guest engagements have included the Royal Seville Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Orchestral Kanazawa, Mskolc Symphony Orchestra, Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra, Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, Irish National Opera Orchestra, Kaunas Symphony Orchestra. He collaborates regularly with Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Vanemuine Symphony Orchestra and others.

Kaspar Mänd studied oboe, choral and orchestral conducting at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (prof. Hirvo Surva and prof. Paul Mägi) and received further training at the Paris Conservatory (CNSMDP, prof. Zsolt Nagy). He has participated in masterclasses by Neeme and Paavo Järvi, Leonid Grin, Eri Klas and Risto Joost.

Between 2018-2022 Kaspar was a lecturer at the conducting department of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.