Estonia on Music Theory Print

Aleksander Läte

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Aleksander Läte (12 January 1860, in Pikasilla, Aakre Parish, Kreis Dorpat – 8 September 1948, in Tartu) was an Estonian composer, conductor and music critic. He is also known as the first Estonian professional music critic. In 1895, he started his education at Dresden Conservatory and graduated it in choir composition speciality. Since 1932, he led the piano factory Sprenk-Läte, located in Tartu. His brother was the piano master Eugen Sprenk-Läte (1871–1932), who ran the J. Moritz piano factory in Tartu, but was later a business manager. Founded his own piano workshop in Tartu in 1926, where he made pianos. Aleksander Läte continued his brother’s work after his death. Works * Five Cantatas * Kalevala (overture) (1901) * Eesti tants (for symphony orchestra, 1904) * Tempo di mazurka (for symphony orchestra, 1904) References

Alfred Karindi

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Alfred Karindi (born Alfred-Nikolai Karafin; 30 May 1901 – 13 April 1969) was an Estonian organist and composer. Life and work Alfred Karindi was born on 30 May 1901 in the village of Kõnnu, Illuka Parish. In 1920 he entered the Tartu Higher School of Music where he studied organ under Johannes Kärt and composition under Heino Eller. He graduated in 1927, and then studied under August Topman and Artur Kapp as an external student of organ and composition at Tallinn Conservatory, graduating in 1931. He belonged to the “Tartu school” of musicians who studied under Heino Eller, others being Eduard Tubin, Eduard Oja, Olav Roots and Karl Leichter. Karindi taught music at the Tartu 2nd primary school (1921–1927), Tartu Higher Music School (1925–1928) and University of Tartu (1928–1932). Karindi was organist for Tartu Maarja Church (1925–1929), University of Tartu Church (1929–1933) and Tallinn Kaarli Church (1933–1940). He was known as a skilled improviser on the organ. He also conducted a number of choirs in Tartu and Tallinn from 1925 onward. As conductor of the “Cantate Domino” mixed choir of the University of Tartu Church from 1929 to 1933 he gave concerts throughout Estonia, often pe

Andres Uibo

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Andres Uibo (born 16 April 1956) is an Estonian organist, composer, music producer and pedagogue. He has been the organist of St. Nicholas Church in Tallinn, now the Niguliste Museum-Concert Hall, since 1981 and has taught at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre since 1994, becoming professor of organ in 2005. In 1987 he founded the Tallinn International Organ Festival; he later became artistic director of the Suure-Jaani Music Festival and initiated the Tallinnfest B-A-C-H series at Niguliste in 2001. In 2001 he was awarded the Medal Class of the Order of the White Star. Early life and education Uibo was born in Kivi-Vigala. In 1994 he joined the faculty of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, where he later became professor of organ; he also worked as a producer for the state concert agency Eesti Kontsert. Uibo has appeared widely as a recitalist in Estonia and abroad. In 2017 ERR reported that he was the first Estonian organist invited to perform in the BachOrgelFestival at the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. He has also performed at the Malta International Organ Festival, where the Times of Malta reviewed his recital at St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta in 2015 and co

Artur Kapp

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Artur Kapp (28 February 1878 – 14 January 1952) was an Estonian composer. Early life and career Born in Suure-Jaani, Estonia, then part of the Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire, he was the son of Joosep Kapp, who was also a classically trained musician. Kapp began his musical career studying organ at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory as a student of both Louis Homilius and composition with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in 1891. Kapp graduated from the Conservatory in 1900 as a composer and from 1904 until 1920 worked as a music director in the southern Russian city of Astrakhan, then returning to Estonia as a professor and conductor at the Tallinn Conservatory where he counted among his students such future notable Estonian composers as Evald Aav, Edgar Arro, Gustav Ernesaks, Helen Tobias-Duesberg, Riho Päts and Enn Võrk. He is, along with Rudolf Tobias (1873-1918), generally considered to be one of the founders of Estonian symphonic music. Kapp’s son Eugen (1908–1996) and nephew Villem (1913–1964) became notable composers as well, having studied at the Tallinn Conservatory under direction of the elder Kapp. Some of Kapp’s most enduring works are the 1899 overture Don Carlos and the

Artur Lemba

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Artur Lemba (24 September 1885 – 21 November 1963) was an Estonian composer and piano teacher, and one of the most important figures in Estonian classical music. Artur and his older brother Theodor (1876–1962) were the first professional pianists in Estonia to give concerts abroad. Artur’s 1905 opera Sabina was the first opera composed by an Estonian. His Symphony No. 1 in 1908 was the first symphony composed by an Estonian. Lemba was a finalist in the prestigious Anton Rubinstein Competition and later a professor at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. Early life and education Artur Lemba was born in Tallinn on 24 September 1885 as a son of piano tuner Gustav Lemba. Artur Lemba learned piano from his brother Theodor Lemba. In 1899, following in his brother’s footsteps, he enrolled at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. There he studied piano with Carl van Arck, Prof. V. Tolstov and I. Borovka. His composition teacher was Nicolai Soloviev and he studied music theory with Anatoly Lyadov, Alexander Glazunov and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Lemba’s Poéme d’amour (1916) for violin and piano is also popular in the violin repertoire. References External links *List of Compositions by Artur Lemba

Arvo Pärt

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Early life, family and education#

Pärt was born in Paide Järva County Estonia, on 11. September 1935. He was raised by his mother and stepfather in Rakvere in northern Estonia. He began to experiment with the top and bottom notes of the family’s piano as the middle register was damaged. Pärt’s musical education began at the age of seven when he began attending music school in Rakvere. By his early teenage years, Pärt was writing his own compositions. His first serious study came in 1954 at the Tallinn Music Middle School, but less than a year later he temporarily abandoned it to fulfill military service, playing oboe and percussion in the army band. After his military service he attended the Tallinn Conservatory, where he studied composition with Heino Eller and it was said of him, “he just seemed to shake his sleeves and the notes would fall out”. During the 1950s, he also completed his first vocal composition, the cantata Meie aed (‘Our Garden’) for children’s choir and orchestra. He graduated in 1963.

Avo Sõmer

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Avo Sõmer (June 27, 1934 – May 30, 2024) was an Estonian-born American musicologist, music theorist and composer of Estonian birth. Sõmer was born in Estonia. He emigrated from Estonia with his parents in 1944, when he was ten years old, first to Germany and then to the United States. He had already begun playing the piano as a child in Pärnu. In Germany he took some piano lessons and instruction in theory, and began to compose, but systematic instruction in music came only later. He majored in music education, piano performance, and composition at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, followed by graduate studies at the University of Michigan where, in 1957, he earned an M. A. with a thesis on Monteverdi’s madrigals, and then, in 1963, a PhD with a dissertation “The Keyboard Music of Johann Jakob Froberger”. In 1962 he joined the faculty of the University of Connecticut, where he remained until his retirement in 2000. Since that time he has increased his activity as a writer, and has spoken at conferences in Estonia on the music of Eduard Tubin, twentieth-century music in general, and the theories of Heinrich Schenker. He is best known for his analytical publications on ear

Boris Kõrver

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Boris Kõrver (12 April 1917 – 17 August 1994) was an Estonian composer. Biography Kõrver was born in Revel 12 April 1917. In 1950, he graduated from Tallinn State Conservatory in composition specialty. During World War II, he belonged to State Artistic Ensembles of the Estonian SSR in Yaroslavl. Since 1944, he was a member of Estonian Composers’ Union. From 1953 to 1966, he was deputy chairman and from 1966 to 1974 chairman of Estonian Composers’ Union. His daughter is director and cinematographer Marianne Kõrver. He died 17 August 1994 in Tallinn. Awards * Two Estonian SSR State Prizes (1949, 1950) * Stalin Prize, 3rd class (1951) * Merited Art Worker of the Estonian SSR (1955) * Two Orders of the Red Banner of Labour (1956, 1971) * People’s Artist of the Estonian SSR (1965) * Order of the Badge of Honour (1967) * Order of Friendship of Peoples Works * Author manuscript “Our school life” (1955) https://www.emic.ee/?sisu=kasikirjad&mid=230&lang=eng&action=view&id=11468&tid=15879 * operette “Ainult unistus” (1955) * operette “Laanelill” (1959) * operette “Teie soov palun?” (1962) * musical “Mees pisuhännaga” (1968) * musical “Kapsad ja kuningad” (1971) References

Boris Parsadanian

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Boris Khristoforovich Parsadanian (, ; May 14, 1925 – May 14, 1997) was a Soviet Armenian and Estonian composer, violinist, and arts administrator. Biography Parsadanian was born in Kislovodsk, Russian SFSR, in 1925. He began his musical studies in Ashgabat, Turkmen SSR, studying violin with Anton Gerbler. Later he moved to Moscow and enrolled at the Armenian House of Culture, where he studied with . His studies were interrupted by his military service in World War II, during which he was decorated. After the war Parsadanian enrolled in the Gnessin Institute where he studied composition and violin. He resumed studies with Litinsky and also began studying orchestration with Nikolai Timofeyev. He was well liked by his classmates for his playing and personality, but school staff initially disapproved of his behavior, particularly his constant playing of excerpts from Aram Khachaturian’s Violin Concerto. Parsadanian graduated in 1950. His first work to earn success was his Piano Trio, which was premiered at a student concert; the piano part was played by fellow student Yevgeny Svetlanov. This was followed by his tone poem David of Sassoun, which was based on the eponymous hero from the

Cyrillus Kreek

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Cyrillus Kreek (born Karl Ustav Kreek; 3 December 1889 in Võnnu, Lääne county – 26 March 1962 in Haapsalu) was an Estonian composer. Kreek studied trombone and composition at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory from 1908 to 1916 in the years immediately prior to the Russian Revolution, then worked as music teacher first in his native Haapsalu (in western Estonia), at the Tartu Higher Music College and later at the Tallinn Conservatory. Kreek started collecting religious folksongs in 1911 in the Haapsalu region. He systematically collected the folk music of his native country, and many of his folk melody arrangements have since become part of the permanent repertoire of Estonian choral societies. He was the first Estonian collector to use the phonograph for this purpose and the harmonisations he made became a lifelong preoccupation. His beautiful psalm settings have an unmistakable folk tinge, and yet they are much more than simple folksong arrangements, with their carefully graded choral colouring and passing use of imitation. Kreek’s magnum opus was his Requiem, using an Estonian translation of the text of Mozart’s Requiem, but his essence is perfectly expressed in these choral mini

Eduard Oja

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Eduard Oja (17 January 1905 in Palupõhja – 16 April 1950 in Tartu) was an Estonian composer, conductor, music teacher and critic. His father was a forest warden. Between 1919 and 1925 he studied at Tartu Teachers’ College at Tartu University, where he met Eduard Tubin, and he also worked for some time as a school teacher. He was however much appreciated during his lifetime, and received awards and acclaim for several of his works. He also worked as a conductor, leading the Tartu Women’s Singing Society’s Women’s Choir between 1930 and 1934, as well as a teacher of music theory at Tartu Higher School of Music. In addition, he was himself a practising violinist. References External links *Biography

Eduard Tubin

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Eduard Tubin ( – 17 November 1982) was an Estonian composer, conductor, and choreographer. Life Tubin was born in Torila, Tartu County, Governorate of Livonia, then part of the Russian Empire. Both his parents were music lovers, and his father played trombone in the village band. His first taste of music came at school where he learned the flute. Later, his father swapped a cow for a piano, and the young Eduard soon became known in the village for his playing. Eduard also played flute in the village orchestra. Tubin entered the Tartu Teacher’s College in the newly independent Estonia in 1920. It was here he began to take an interest in composition. In 1924 he was admitted to the Tartu Higher Music School starting his studies under the guidance of the famous Estonian composer Heino Eller. He married a fellow student Linda Pirn in 1930. Their son Rein was born in 1932. Tubin took up work conducting in the Vanemuine theatre. During this time he also conducted one of the best-known male choirs and made several trips abroad. In 1938, he met Zoltán Kodály in Hungary, who encouraged his interest in folk songs. In 1941, he married the ballet dancer Elfriede Saarik (Erika). Their son Eino w

Eino Tamberg

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Eino Tamberg (27 May 1930 – 24 December 2010) was an Estonian composer whose works are performed internationally. He composed operas such as Cyrano de Bergerac, four symphonies, and several concertos. He taught composition for decades at the Estonian Academy of Music. Life Tamberg was born in Tallinn. He studied composition with Eugen Kapp at the Tallinn Conservatory, from which he graduated in 1953.

Els Aarne

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Elze Janovna Paemurru (30 March 1917 – 14 June 1995), pseudonymously known as Els Aarne, was an Estonian composer, pianist and pedagogue, primarily during the Soviet Union. She taught at Tallinn Conservatory, her alma mater, from 1944 to 1974. Life and career Elze Janovna Paemurru was born as on 30 March 1917 in Makiivka, Russian Empire (now Ukraine); her pseudonym was Els Aarne. Her father was the scientist (1885–1978). She studied at the Tallinn Conservatory, Tallinn, graduating as a music teacher in 1939 after instruction from Gustav Ernesaks, in 1942 as pianist with Artur Lemba and in 1946 as composer under Heino Eller. Aarne lectured at the Tallinn Conservatory on music theory from 1944 to 1974. Aarne married the horn player (1908–1972); they had two sons, the cellist and politician (born 1948) and Mait Paemurru. She died on 14 June 1995 in Tallinn. Els was known, among other things, as a chamber music composer (preferring to compose for violoncello and double-bass); in addition, she wrote two symphonies. List of compositions References Citations Sources * * * * * Further reading * * External links * Work list with recordings from the Estonian Music Information Centre * * Lett

Erkki-Sven Tüür

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Erkki-Sven Tüür (; born 16 October 1959) is an Estonian composer. Life and career Tüür was born in Kärdla on the Estonian island of Hiiumaa. He studied flute and percussion at the Tallinn Music School from 1976 to 1980 and composition with Jaan Rääts at the Tallinn Academy of Music and privately with Lepo Sumera from 1980 to 1984. From 1979 to 1984 he headed the rock group In Spe, which quickly became one of the most popular in Estonia. The Helsinki Philharmonic, the Hilliard Ensemble, the Stockholm Saxophone Quartet and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra are among those who have commissioned works from him. His Concerto for Viola and Orchestra, entitled ‘“Illuminatio”’, was premiered by violist Lars Anders Tomter and South Jutland Symphony Orchestra in October 2008. Since 1985, Tüür is member of the Estonian Composers’ Union. Style Tüür’s early work is polystylistic. The first pure example is his opus Oxymoron. Tüür developed a vector based voice leading technique. The vectors are sequences of intervals, expressed as numbers. He compares this compositional method with a source code, a germ that grows, Starting point of the composition process is an abstract drawing, that vi

Ester Mägi

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Ester Mägi (10 January 1922 – 14 May 2021) was an Estonian composer. She has been called the “first lady of Estonian music.” Education She trained under Mart Saar at the Tallinn Conservatoire, then from 1951 to 1954 at the Moscow Conservatory under Vissarion Shebalin. Much of her work was inspired by Estonian folk music. References External links * Ester Mägi at the Estonian Music Information Centre *

Galina Grigorjeva

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Galina Grigorjeva (, born 2 December 1962 in Simferopol, Ukraine) is an Estonian composer of Ukrainian origin. She studied at Odesa Conservatory, and in 1991 she graduated from St. Petersburg Conservatory. Grigorjeva has received a number of awards, including the Heino Eller Music Prize and the Lepo Sumera Composer Prize, and in 2015 her CD “In Paradisum” won the prize for best classical album at the Eesti Muusikaauhinnad (Estonian Music Prize). Musical Style Although a contemporary composer, Grigorjeva’s music uses the subtle and animated melodic styles reflecting influences from early European polyphony and Slavonic sacred music. Choral compositions are deeply rooted in the traditions of the Orthodox Church and ancient Russian and Slavonic folklore. Works * Poly-phonie for piano (1998) * Na ishod (1999) * Con misterio (2001) * Recitativo accompagnato (2003) * There Is a Time for Autumn for 6 percussionists (2004) * Hocetus (2004) * Valge prelüüd (White Prelude: Imitating Monsieur Couperin) for baroque viola (2006) * Aria (2007) * Ad infinitum (2008) * Schwarz-weiß Prelude for piano and cello (2009) * Nox vitae for mixed choir (2010) * In Paradisum References

Gustav Ernesaks

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Gustav Ernesaks (12 December 1908 – 24 January 1993) was an Estonian composer and a choir conductor. Biography Gustav Ernesaks was born on 12 December 1908 in Perila, Estonia. He was educated at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre where he was a pupil of Juhan Aavik and Artur Kapp. After completing his education, he founded the first professional choir in the history of Estonia in 1944, the State Academic Men’s Choir (now the Estonian National Male Choir). Ernesaks played an integral role in the Singing Revolution and was one of the father figures of the Estonian Song Festival tradition. One of his songs, a setting of Lydia Koidula’s poem Mu isamaa on minu arm, became an unofficial national anthem during the years of Estonian SSR. His performance of the song at the XVII Estonian Song Festival was one of the inspirations for Dmitri Shostakovich’s 1970 a capella choral cycle, Loyalty. He dedicated the score to Ernesaks, who also premiered it in Tallinn. He also composed the Estonian SSR anthem used between 1945 and 1990. In 1935, Ernesaks married Stella Merjam. They had three sons: Ott Ernesaks, Jüri Ernesaks and Peep Ernesaks. His wife died in 1973. Ernesaks died in Tallinn on

Heino Eller

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Heino Eller (7 March 188716 June 1970) was an Estonian composer and pedagogue, known as the founder of contemporary Estonian symphonic music. Life and career Eller was born in Tartu on 7 March 1887, where he took private lessons in violin and music theory, played in several ensembles and orchestras, and performed as violin soloist. In 1907 he entered the Saint Petersburg Conservatory to study violin. From 1908 to 1911 he was a law student. In 1920 Eller graduated from the conservatory renamed to Petrograd Conservatory. His younger brother was sculptor Aleksander Eller. From 1920 to 1940, Eller was a professor of music theory and composition at the Tartu Higher School for Music. During this time he formed the Tartu school of composition, which gave rise to many composers, including Eduard Tubin. In 1940 he became a professor of composition at the Tallinn Conservatory and taught there until his death in 1970. Eller was a teacher of composition. The school he formed in Tartu counterbalanced the so-called Tallinn school headed by Artur Kapp. Eller’s pedagogical talent is versatile. The list of his pupils offers the best proof of this: each of them has created a distinguished original s

Helena Tulve

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Helena Tulve (born 28 April 1972) is an Estonian composer. Born in Tartu, she studied composition at the Tallinn Secondary Music School under Alo Põldmäe and from 1989 to 1992 at the Estonian Academy of Music with Erkki-Sven Tüür, being the latter’s sole student of composition thus far. In 1994 Tulve graduated with the Premier Prix from Jacques Charpentier’s composition class at the Conservatoire Superieur de Paris. Between 1993 and 1996 she furthered her knowledge of Gregorian chant. She has also attended György Ligeti’s and Marco Stroppa’s summer courses. She is married to composer Jaan-Eik Tulve. Selected works *Reyah hadas ´ala for male voices and ancient music instruments (2005, text by Shalom Shabazi) *Lendajad for amplified flutes (2005) fl.in C (fl. picc./ fl. basso) & fl. in C (fl. picc./ fl. in G) *ligne d´horizon for ensemble (2005) 1-1-1-0/ 0-0-0-0/ pno-arpa-mandolino-guit.-1batt./ 1-1-1-1 *lumineux/opaque new version for clarinet, cello, piano and 3 wine glasses (2004) *chamber-opera It Is Getting So Dark (2003/04, text by Sei Shōnagon) 14 female voices & ensemble: flauto-corno-vla-cb.-arpa-batt. *…il neige for harpsichord and kannel (2004) *nec ros, nec pluvia… fo

Jüri Reinvere

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Jüri Reinvere (born December 2, 1971, in Tallinn) is an Estonian composer, poet and essayist who has been living in Germany since 2005. Jüri Reinvere’s polystylistic art does not follow any dogmas of material nor technique. It is often devoted to existential themes of history, nature, politics and the poetics of human perception. His poetry and music theatre works are based on precise psychological observation and are often accompanied by subtle theological allusions. His essays in Postimees and in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung take part in debates on current cultural and political affairs and have been awarded with prizes for journalism in Estonia. His music has received international attention through conductors such as Andris Nelsons, Paavo Järvi, Franz Welser-Möst, Pablo Heras-Casado, Juraj Valcuha or Pietari Inkinen and through orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Life Jüri Reinvere grew up in Tallinn during the Soviet occupation. He attended the Tallinn Music High School from 1979 to 1990. His first composition teacher was Lepo Sumera. The pianistic training he receive

Karl Leichter

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Karl Leichter (13 October 1902 in Näpi, Rakvere Parish – 7 March 1987 in Tallinn ) was an Estonian musicologist. In 1929 he graduated in theory and composition, studying under Heino Eller with pupils such as Eduard Tubin, Alfred Karindi, Eduard Oja and Olav Roots. Between 1929 and 1931 he worked in the Estonian Folklore Archives. Following World War II and the ensuing Soviet occupation of Estonia, he worked hard to re-establish functioning musical education and musicological research. For a short period, he was dean of Tallinn State Conservatory, but quickly lost his position due to political reasons. Only after Stalin’s death could he slowly work his way back to a position as a teacher and eventually as the Chair of the Department of Composition and Musicology. He later worked in Stockholm and Helsinki. The Eduard Tubin Museum of Alatskivi Castle today contains exhibits related to him and his other peers who studied with him at the Tartu school. His large archive of correspondence with many important musicians throughout Estonia and abroad was donated by his widow to the Estonian Museum of Theatre and Music in the 1990s. References

Konstantin Türnpu

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Konstantin Jakob Türnpu (August 13, 1865 – April 16, 1927) was an Estonian composer and conductor. He is considered one of the most important figures in Estonian choral music. Türnpu was born in Klooga, Estonia, on August 13, 1865. He studied music independently at first, but in 1886, he entered the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, where he studied organ with Louis Homilius and composition with Julius Johannsen. He graduated from the conservatory in 1891. After graduating from the conservatory, Türnpu returned to Estonia and worked as an organist and choir conductor. He was also a music teacher at several schools in Tallinn. In 1892, he became the organist of the Niguliste Church in Tallinn, a position he held until his death. In 1916, Türnpu became the conductor of the Tallinn Male Song Society’s male choir. He conducted the choir for the next 11 years, and during that time he helped to raise the choir to a high level of artistry. He also served as the general conductor of the V and VI Estonian Song Festivals. Türnpu’s compositions are mostly choral works, but he also wrote a few solo songs and organ pieces. His choral music is characterized by its lyrical melodies, rich harmonies,

Kristjan Kõrver

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Kristjan Kõrver (born 1 October 1976, in Tallinn) is an Estonian composer. In 1997, Kristjan Kõrver graduated in music theory from the Georg Ots Tallinn Music School where he also studied composition with Alo Põldmäe. His music has been performed in various ensembles such as the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, as well as by conductors Risto Joost and Lauri Sirp, mezzo soprano Iris Oja, Estonian zither (kannel) player Kristi Mühling, flutist Tarmo Johannes, cellist Leho Karin, Ensemble Resonabilis, pianists Kai Ratassepp and Irina Zahharenkova, Quartet SaxEst and many others. He studied composition at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, graduating in 2003. - 2007 Gratis dictum Ensemble work For instrumental ensemble - 2009 Symphonism 12 Orchestral work For symphony orchestra - 2013 The Iron-Ants (Raud-Ants) Chamber opera Opera for small ensemble and voices - 2016 Schizzo concertato Orchestral work For string orchestra References

Lepo Sumera

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Lepo Sumera (8 May 1950 – 2 June 2000) was an Estonian composer and teacher. Life and career He was born in Tallinn and studied with Veljo Tormis in his teens, and from 1968, with Heino Eller at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (then Tallinn State Conservatory). After Heino Eller’s death in 1970, he studied with Heino Jürisalu, graduating in 1973. He then did postgraduate study at the Moscow Conservatory (1979–1982) with the Russian composer Roman Ledenev. Sumera first came to notice in 1972 with In Memoriam, an orchestral tribute to Eller. Legacy He is considered one of Estonia’s most renowned composers along with Heino Eller, Eduard Tubin and Arvo Pärt. He was also his country’s Minister of Culture from 1988 to 1992 during the days of the Singing Revolution. As such he was the last Minister of Culture of the Estonian SSR, and the first Minister of Culture after Estonia re-gained independence. See also *20th-century classical music *Culture of Estonia References External links *Lepo Sumera official web site *Lepo Sumera on IMDb *Lepo Sumera on AllMusic

Liis Viira

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Liis Jürgens (Viira) (born Jürgens; years 2010-2020 Viira; born 7 April 1983) is an Estonian composer, harpist, and animator. She has also used the pseudonym Liz Wirestring. Life and career Liis Jürgens has written quite diverse music for orchestras and choirs as well as chamber music and electroacoustic improvisations. Despite being one of the best-known harp players in Estonia and a member of Estonian State Symphony Orchestra, she often uses harp along with non-classical instruments. She has admitted her compositions for human voice are difficult for singers as she uses voice like just another instrument. Jürgens tends to stress the importance of lyrics, and has often composed her own due to lack of poetry intrinsically harmonic with the music. Jürgens has also been playing in ensembles Una Corda and Lippajad. She has composed music for film, like Eleonore de Montesquieu’s documentary Paldiski (2005). In 2012, Viira’s Liivaterade raamat represented Estonia on International Rostrum of Composers run yearly by International Music Council. In the end of 2015, Viira and Margo Kõlar gained a lot of media coverage with their Baby Symphony (Reverbeebi) presented on Estonian Music Days. I

Lydia Auster

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Lydia Martynovna Auster (; 30 May 1912 – 3 April 1993) was a Soviet and Estonian composer. She was born in Petropavlovsk, Akmolinsk Oblast, Russian Empire. After musical studies in Omsk in 1927–1931, she transferred to the Leningrad Conservatory, where she studied with Mikhail Youdin. She later continued studies at the Moscow Conservatory with Vissarion Shebalin. After her graduation in 1938, she continued post-graduate studies. These were interrupted in 1941, then resumed in 1944. During her period away from studies, she worked as a staff composer for the Ashgabat Philharmonic Orchestra in the Turkmen SSR. After the end of the Great Patriotic War, Auster went to the Estonian SSR to study the local folk music. In 1948, Auster was appointed music director of the Estonian SSR Television and Radio Committee. Despite her position, she faced criticism for formalism by Soviet authorities. Nevertheless, she continued to serve in her position until 1984. She was also on the board of the Union of Composers of the Estonian SSR. Auster was awarded and People’s Artist of the Estonian SSR in 1957 and 1984 respectively. According to , Auster’s ballets, along with those of Eugen Kapp, were crucia

Mari Vihmand

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Mari Vihmand (born 17 May 1967 in Tallinn) is an Estonian composer. From 1987 to 1995 she taught music theory at the Tallinn Music High School. Early life and education In 1997 she graduated from Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. 1995–1997, she studied at Lyon Conservatory of Music in France. while her music language is often described as poetic and expressive, with an emphasis on balancing the emotional and rational aspects. Her finely crafted sound qualities distinguish her music from others. Her orchestral piece “Floreo” was awarded first prize at the UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers in Paris in 1996, in the under-30 category, showcasing her early international recognition. Works * Laul õnnelikust Corydonist ja Phyllisest (for sopran and chamber ensemble, 1992) * Sinfonie (1993) * Lugu klassist (chamber opera, 1995) * Armastuse valem (opera, 2008) References

Marianna Liik

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Marianna Liik (born 8 September 1992) Education Marianna Liik was born in Kärdla, on the island of Hiiumaa. Works Marianna Liik has composed music for orchestra, ensembles, choir, as well as electroacoustic works and theatre music. Her special interest is the sound world that is created by combining the acoustic and electronic means of expression. Liik’s compositions have been performed at various festivals in Estonia and internationally, including in the United States, Poland, Germany, Russia, Australia, Switzerland, and China. In 2019, she was selected for the Roche Young Commissions programme associated with the Lucerne Festival Academy. Her commissioned work Kurzschluss premiered on 1 September 2019, at the Lucerne Festival by the Lucerne Festival Academy Orchestra under conductor Ruth Reinhardt. Liik’s choral works have been performed by the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Collegium Musicale in collaboration with the Rascher Saxophone Quartet. Her works have been performed at festivals including the Estonian Music Days, AFEKT Festival, Baltic Music Days, and Ung Nordisk Musik. Reception Liik’s music has been noted in critical writing for its focus on timbre, texture, a

Märt-Matis Lill

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Märt-Matis Lill (born 6 November 1975) is an Estonian composer. Early life and education Märt-Matis Lill was born in Tartu, and is the son of writer, translator, cultural critic, and philosopher Jaan Kaplinski and classical philologist and translator Anne Lill. Guitarist and violinist Emil Lansoo was his grandfather. He studied composition at the Tallinn Music High School under Lepo Sumera. In 1999 he graduated from Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. As composer and the chairman of the Estonian Composers’ Union, he writes on the 70th anniversary of the birth of Lepo Sumera, one of the most influential composers in post-war Estonia, about his old mentor’s restlessness, warmth and work. Affiliations He has been the artistic director of the Pärnu New Music Days Festival. Since 2000, he has been a member of the Estonian Composers’ Union. From 2014, he has been the chairman of Estonian Composers’ Union. Works * 1999 “Üleminekuriitus” (“Le rite de passage”) * 2001 “Seitse laulu sügisest” (for baritone and piano) * 2002 “Linnujäljed taeval” * 2002 “Etnofuturistlikud etüüdid” * 2003 “Farwell” * 2003 “Taeva jõgi” (for chamber orchestra) * 2015 “Kui kivid olid veel pehmed” * 2017 opera "

Miina Härma

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Miina Härma (; 9 February 1864 – 16 November 1941) was an Estonian composer, organist, choir director, and music teacher, known for being Estonia’s first professional female composer and organist. Early life and education Miina Hermann was born on 9 February 1864 at the schoolhouse of in Kõrveküla, Governorate of Livonia (present-day Estonia). Härma’s father was a schoolteacher. Personal life In 1935, Härma changed her surname from Hermann to Härma. Legacy Her greatest contribution is perhaps the fact that she took organ music to the countryside, as virtually no skilled organists gave concerts outside of towns. During Estonia SSR the in Tartu district was named after Härma. In 1965, the by was erected on Härma’s grave. The memorial monument was declared an Estonian cultural heritage monument in 1997. References

Olav Roots

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Olav Roots (26 February 1910 – 30 January 1974) was an Estonian conductor, pianist and composer. Roots was born in Uderna. He studied at the Music School of Tartu from 1923 to 1928, studying piano with Artur Lemba and composition under Heino Eller with musicians such as Eduard Tubin, Eduard Oja, Alfred Karindi and Karl Leichter. He then studied at the Estonian Music Academy in Tallinn, where he subsequently taught piano and music theory until 1935. In addition, he completed his piano studies with Alfred Cortot in Paris. In 1942 he studied with Clemens Krauss in Salzburg. In 1944, Roots moved to Sigtuna in Sweden. He taught there at the Estonian School and directed the Stockholm Joint Youth Choir. In November 1952 he became conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia in Bogotá, Colombia, His Symphony dedicated to the Colombia Symphony Orchestra was first performed under his direction 10 November 1967, and he was made an Honorary citizen of Colombia the same year. He died in Bogotá. References

Peeter Vähi

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Peeter Vähi (born 18 May 1955, Tartu) is a classical Estonian composer. Vähi’s work Relaxatio, written in 1992 and inspired by Asian intonal elements of Tibetan canticles, is a noted electronic work of psychotherapeutic music. Discography * Music for Synthesizers (1989) Melodiya (vinyl LP), Works: “Reverence”, “Evening Music”, “Concerto grosso”, “Gates”, performed by: Mati Kärmas, Ivo Sillamaa, Andrus Vaht, Peeter Vähi, C60 28297 004 * The Path to the Heart of Asia (1992) Erdenklang (CD), (based on oriental folk music), 20602 * 2000 Years After the Birth of Christ (1995) Forte (CD), performed by: Kaia Urb, Works: “Hortus Musicus”, “The Bad Orchestra”, FD 0016/2 * 2000 Years After the Birth of Christ (1995) Antes Edition Classics (CD), performed by: Kaia Urb, Works: “Hortus Musicus”, “The Bad Orchestra”, BM-CD 31.9059 *Sounds of the Silver Moon (1996) Forte (CD), Co-authorship: Abhay Phagre, Krishna Kumar Kapoor, FD 0038/2 * To His Highness Salvador D (1997) Antes Edition Classics (CD), Works: “To His Highness Salvador D”, “Mystical Uniting”, “Digital Love”, “Concerto Piccolo”, “Four Engravings of Reval”, Performed by: Hortus Musicus, Camerata Tallinn, 1997 Antes Edition Classics BM

Raimund Kull

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Raimund Kull (3 October 1882 – 10 October 1942) was an Estonian conductor and composer. Born in Narva, at the time part of the Russian Empire, Kull studied trombone at the St. Petersburg Conservatory from 1900 until 1906. He then worked as an orchestra conductor in St. Petersburg, Kazan, and Rostov. Selected works ;works for orchestra * 1920: “The Battle of Kriusha” (‘Kriuša lahing’) * “Homeland” (‘Kodumaa’) * “Naughty Maiden” (‘Vallatu neiu’) Acknowledgements *Order of the Cross of the Eagle, 3rd class (1932) *Order of the White Star, 3rd class (1937) References

Roman Toi

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Roman Toi (18 June 1916 – 7 May 2018) was an Estonian-Canadian composer, choir conductor, and organist. Influenced by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Toi’s music is melodic, lyrical, and melancholic in style. His compositional output includes nine cantatas (composed 1953–77), three symphonies (1969, 1972, 1974), and more than 80 choral works. Many of his compositions have become part of the standard Estonian choral repertoire. Life and career Born in Kõo Parish, in the Governorate of Livonia of the Russian Empire (now Estonia), Toi became a naturalized Canadian citizen in 1957. He began his professional education at the Institute of Advanced Studies in Montreux, Switzerland and then studied at the Mozarteum University of Salzburg from 1942 to 1943 where he was a pupil of Clemens Krauss. He spent the next six years conducting and writing music for choirs, theatre, and radio in Europe. and died in May 2018 at the age of 101 in Toronto, Canada. References

Rudolf Tobias

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Rudolf Tobias (29 May 1873 – 29 October 1918) was the first Estonian professional composer, as well as a professional organist. He studied at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. His compositions include among others piano works, string quartets and an oratorio, Des Jona Sendung (Jonah’s Mission) (1908, revised and premiered 1909, later reconstructed by Vardo Rumessen). Early life Rudolf Tobias was born in Selja, Käina Parish, on the island of Hiiumaa. He was the son of local parish clerk Johannes Tobias and his wife Emilie. Tobias received his first musical training from his father. Under his father’s tutelage, he began musical training at an early age and composing his first composition exercises from 1882 when he was 9 years old. In 1885 he entered the Haapsalu school and studied piano under Catharina von Gernet, a local pianist. After he graduated, Tobias moved with his parents to Kullamaa, where his father had become the parish clerk. In 1889 Tobias entered Tallinn Nicolai High School, where he passed the tutor’s exam and studied both organ and music theory with Ernst Reinicke, the Tallinn Cathedral organist. Gallery File:Tobias.IMG 0843.jpg Monument to Tobias in Haapsalu. File:

Tatjana Kozlova-Johannes

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Tatjana Kozlova-Johannes (born 8 January 1977 in Narva) is an Estonian-Russian composer. In 2000s, she graduated from Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre in composition speciality. Works Chamber works *Prisma (2001) for piano *Changeable Muutlik (2002) for flute, Estonian zither *kuumast klaasist tehtud made of hot glass (2003) for 2 flutes, alto flute, oboe, 2 clarinets/bass clarinet, bassoon, contrabassoon, horn, trombone, percussion, strings *Võilillede lumi Snow of Dandelions (2003) for 4 flutes *When I Was in Love Siis, kui ma armastasin… (2003) for violin *Circles (2004) for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, percussion, piano *Converting into Steam (2005) for 3 saxophones, double bass *Doors 2 (2006) for flute, clarinet/bass clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, viola, cello, double bass *Doors 2a version (2007) for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, percussion *Liikumatuse dimensioon / Dimension of Quiescence (Version of the piece written in 2009) (2010) for alto saxophone (clarinet or bass clarinet), percussion *Horizontals Horisontaalid (2010) for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, percussion, piano *Lovesong (2010) for violin, flute *Towards Inward (Dissolution) Suunaga

Tõnu Kõrvits

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Tõnu Kõrvits (born 9 April 1969) is an Estonian composer. Kõrvits was born in Tallinn. In 1994 he graduated from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre with specialty in composition. * 2019: “You Are Light and Morning” for choir and orchestra, based on works by Cesare Pavese * 2022: “The Sound of Wings” for choir and orchestra, inspired by Amelia Earhart References

Udo Kasemets

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Udo Kasemets (November 16, 1919 – January 19, 2014) was an Estonian Canadian composer of orchestral, chamber, vocal, piano and electroacoustic works. He was one of the first composers to adopt the methods of John Cage, and was also a conductor, lecturer, pianist, organist, teacher and writer. Kasemets was born in Tallinn, Estonia, and trained at the Tallinn Conservatory and the Akademie der Musik in Stuttgart. In 1950, he attended the Kranichstein Institut für neue Musik in Darmstadt, where he became familiar with the music and philosophies of Ernst Krenek, Hermann Scherchen and Edgard Varèse. He emigrated to Canada in 1951, and became a Canadian citizen in 1957. From the 1950s, Kasemets was active in Hamilton and Toronto in Canada. He taught at the Royal Hamilton College of Music and served as conductor of the Hamilton Conservatory Chorus until 1957. He was music critic for the Toronto Daily Star 1959–63 and taught at the Brodie School of Music and Modern Dance 1963–67. In 1968, he directed the first Toronto Festival of Arts and Technology entitled SightSoundSystems and founded and edited a new music publication series, Canavangard. In 1971, Kasemets joined the Faculty of the Depa

Uno Naissoo

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Uno Naissoo (born 25 March 1928, Viljandi – 5 January 1980, Tallinn) was an Estonian composer and jazz musician. In 1952, he graduated from Tallinn State Conservatory. Naissoo then taught music theory subjects at Georg Ots Tallinn Music School from 1952 to 1980. He has also directed several ensembles, including Swing Club (1947–1957), Rütmikud (1948–1950). Naissoo Unn has been a member of Estonian Composers’ Union since 1954. His son is pianist and composer Tõnu Naissoo. Awards * 1965 Estonian SSR Merited Art Worker * 1976 Annual Music Award of Estonian SSR * 1978 Estonian SSR People’s Artist Selected works Context & Composition Insight Uno Naissoo was a pioneering figure in post-war Estonian jazz, known for blending classical structure with improvisational elements. His compositions often integrated Estonian folk motifs with Western swing rhythms. Several of his jazz suites and choral works became staples in the Soviet-era Baltic repertoire, performed by school ensembles and national symphonies alike. * 7 jazz suites * song “My home” * song “When it’s Midsummer Day” * song “The May began in March” * choral song “The Woodpecker’s Warning” (original “Metsa telegramm”) References

Vaiko Eplik

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Vaiko Eplik (born 1 August 1981) He has been part of several collectives: Claire’s Birthday, Ruffus and Koer. In 2006, Eplik started his solo project under the name Eliit. He has released eight albums, regularly reaching the top of Estonian album charts. In 2014, he released two albums in close sequence, “Nõgesed” (“Nettles”) and “Nelgid” (“Carnations”). He has emphasised his aspiration to “earn enough money to get by, and keep being intelligent and free to be creative with music.” Eplik is a principled independent artist, producing his music at home and releasing it under his independent record label. In 2006 he commented on it in the following words:“Home-made music has no rival… From now on to in about five years time, record companies will be bankrupt.” - ! scope=“row” "" 2025 32 - Collaborations * Claire’s Birthday – Venus (2000) * Claire’s Birthday – City Loves (2001) * Claire’s Birthday – Future Is Now (2003) * Ruffus – Lessons in Pop (2005) * Koer – Pure (2004) * Lenna Kuurmaa – Lenna (2010) References External links * * Vaiko Eplik on Myspace * * – independent record label run by Vaiko Eplik

Veljo Tormis

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Veljo Tormis (7 August 1930 – 21 January 2017) was an Estonian composer, regarded as one of the great contemporary choral composers and one of the most important composers of the 20th century in Estonia. Internationally, his fame arises chiefly from his extensive body of choral music, which exceeds 500 individual choral songs, most of it a cappella. The great majority of these pieces are based on traditional ancient Estonian folksongs (regilaulud), either textually, melodically, or merely stylistically. His composition most often performed outside Estonia, Curse Upon Iron (Raua needmine, 1972), invokes ancient Shamanistic traditions to construct an allegory about the evils of war. Some of his works were banned by the Soviet government, but because folk music was fundamental to his style most of his compositions were accepted by the censors. More recently, Tormis’ works have been performed and recorded by Tõnu Kaljuste with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, and others. In the 1990s, Tormis began to receive commissions from some a cappella groups as the King’s Singers and the Hilliard Ensemble. Tormis famously said of his settings of traditional melodies and verse: “It is not