September 2016

On 22 September, the town of Paide opened a music garden dedicated to Arvo Pärt to show its appreciation of the composer’s contribution to world and Estonian music, and to mark the location of Pärt’s childhood home on the corner of Väike-Aia and Kitsas streets.

International Music Day is celebrated on 1 October. The Arvo Pärt Centre is one of the many interesting places people can visit on that day to listen to live music. The free concert held at the centre on International Music Day will be a performance by the trio of Katreen Ristmets (violin), Siluan Hirvoja (cello) and Johan-Eerik Kõlar (piano). The musicians will perform works by Heino Eller and Arvo Pärt.

In September, the Arvo Pärt Centre became a member of the Estonian Music Library Association (EMLA). “For us, it’s very important to be able to exchange specialist information and experience. The Centre will also be a part of a rather large network, through which it’s possible to introduce our work on a larger scale, and to distribute our publications,” emphasised Anu Kivilo, Director of the Arvo Pärt Centre.

Arvo Pärt Days, from 2 September until 11 September, will feature the composer’s most recent works as well as some older pieces. The opening concert will include the Estonian première of the composer’s instrumental work Greater Antiphons, in addition to his works from the 1960s. The world debut of Greater Antiphons took place on 28 May in Los Angeles, where it was performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. The birthday concert concluding the Arvo Pärt Days on 11 September marks another significant anniversary – this year, the tintinnabuli style is 40 years old.