Source: Tõnu Tunnel
28.03.2023
ARVO PÄRT – ESTONIA’S LEGENDARY COMPOSER
Arvo Pärt is an internationally accomplished musician and on 28 March 2023 was announced as one of three recipients of the 2023 Polar Music Prize to be awarded in May. The prize is considered one of the most prestigious and unique music prizes in the world, crossing over musical boundaries and awarded to individuals, groups and institutions in recognition of exceptional achievements. The Estonian held the title of most performed living composer for eight years in a row during the 2010’s. His own compositional style, “titinnabula”, debuted in the 1970’s in Für Alina and is typically full of simple and intense sounds, often bells. Since then, it has only grown in popularity across the globe.
The Arvo Pärt Centre, opened to the public in 2018, is just 35km outside of Estonia’s capital Tallinn. The aim of the Arvo Pärt Centre is to study and preserve the composer’s heritage in his homeland, Estonia, in an Estonian language environment. It houses an exhibition area, a library, classrooms, a personal archive, a 140-seat auditorium, a video room, and a cafe.
Learn more here: https://www.polarmusicprize.org/laureates/arvo-part/ and https://www.visitestonia.com/en/why-estonia/arvo-part
THE SONG FESTIVAL 2023
Estonia’s Song Festival, first held in 1869, takes place every five years and encompasses the values that Estonians consider important as a nation – love for their country, language, culture, and customs. The festival is of such national significance it is listed by UNESCO as an intangible heritage tradition. It is a chance for Estonians to proudly take part in collective appreciation of their country.
The 150th jubilee celebration in 2019 saw almost 70,000 Estonians gather at the Song Festival Grounds in Tallinn to listen to 35,000 singers from 1,020 choirs across the country. It is considered a great honour to be performing in one of the choirs, with participation beginning from a young age. The 13th Youth Song Celebration will take place on 2 July 2023 at Tallinn’s Song Festival Grounds. Performers will include young children’s choirs, children’s choirs, boys’ choirs, mixed choirs, girls’ choirs, male youth choirs, wind orchestras and symphony orchestras and ends with performances by the combined choir. The concert is preceded by the ceremonial procession of the participants through the centre of Tallinn along a 5km route.
Learn more here: https://www.visitestonia.com/en/why-estonia/welcome-to-the-estonian-song-and-dance-celebration
Images can be downloaded here.
