Contemporary composers

Contemporary Estonian music life is vivid and prolific.
The international calling card of the Estonian art of musical performance is our exceptional conductors, composers, chamber musicians and soloists. Estonia boasts a wide choice of classical music festivals and concerts.

Photo of Erkki-Sven Tüür by Kaupo Kikkas

MEET THE ARTISTS

Arvo Pärt

No contemporary classical music overview can leave out Arvo Pärt's (born 1935) immense contribution to the genre. Pärt's highly original musical language is called tintinnabuli (tintinnabulum – Latin for ‘little bell’). In 2018, the Arvo Pärt Centre building in Northern Estonia was opened.

Photo by Kaupo Kikkas

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Helena Tulve

Organic and everchanging with impulses from Oriental culture can be said about Tulve's (born 1972) work. Her work consists of chamber music, orchestral works, vocal and choral music and works for solo instruments.

Photo by Kaupo Kikkas

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Erki Pärnoja

Pärnoja (born 1984) is an Estonian composer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Well versed in several genres from alternative to electronic, his first ever choral piece 'Anima Mea' showed Pärnoja's reach as contemporary classical composer, too.

Photo by Helina Kõrm

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Tõnu Kõrvits

Heavily inspired by Estonian nature, folklore and Nordic music scene, Kõrvits' (born 1969) work is subliminal, poetic and harmonic. Kõrvits' work consists of ensemble and orchestral music, choral music operas and film music.

Photo by Kaupo Kikkas

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Erkki Sven-Tüür

Tüür's (born 1959) work consists of symphonies, operas, choral works and many more. Tüür has described his works as "abstract dramas in sound, with characters and an extremely dynamic chain of events; they unfold in a space that is constantly shifting, expanding and contracting."

Photo by Kaupo Kikkas

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Pärt Uusberg

Uusberg (born 1986) represents the younger generation of composers with his calm and meditative work. Uusberg's work has choral, orchestral and chamber music. He became more well known with his music for 'Tõde ja Õigus' (Truth and Justice) movie by Tanel Toom in 2019.

Photo by Riina Varol

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