News

This year’s Arvo Pärt Centre residency scholarships have been awarded to British composer Graham Fitkin and Macedonian poet and essayist Nikola Madzhirov. A total of 116 creative professionals from 36 countries applied for the two scholarships. The highest number of applications came from Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Within the framework of the joint project, 9 residency spaces from LOORE network will host Ukrainian artists. The two-month residencies in diverse creative spaces around Estonia offer Ukrainian artists a nourishing work environment and networking opportunities. The Arvo Pärt Centre has selected Ukrainian composer Anna Leonova for a creative residency.

An exhibition in book form recently opened at the Arvo Pärt Centre as part of the Year of the Estonian book. It is a surprising and multidimensional sensory experience, a hologram of the universe. An essay by the Estonian poet Doris Kareva.

Arvo and Nora Pärt and the staff of the Arvo Pärt Centre pay tribute to the memory of Sofia Gubaidulina (24.10.1931—13.03.2025), a beloved composer whose deeply personal and multi-faceted work has left an indelible mark on the history of music.

In 2026, Arvo Pärt’s piano piece Für Alina will mark its 50th anniversary. To celebrate this milestone, the Arvo Pärt Centre is curating an exhibition and invites people to share their personal stories and experiences connected to this composition. Every memory is a valuable addition to our archive.

On 10–11 February, world-renowned conductor and pianist Dennis Russell Davies visited the Arvo Pärt Centre with his wife, pianist Maki Namekawa. The couple, visiting Estonia for the first time, came specifically to see the centre, where they also met with Arvo and Nora Pärt.

Carnegie Hall in New York, one of the world’s most renowned concert venues, announced its programme for the 2025-2026 season on 12 February, with the works of Arvo Pärt taking centre stage in honour of his 90th birthday this year. The programme has been developed in close collaboration with the Arvo Pärt Centre.

The Arvo Pärt Centre extends its heartfelt congratulations to conductor Tõnu Kaljuste on receiving the National Lifetime Achievement Award for Culture.

The Arvo Pärt Centre is happy to announce its upcoming participation in the LOORE residency project for Ukrainian Artists. Deadline for applications: 28th of February.

On 1 February, the Arvo Pärt Centre will open a new exhibition, Tintinnabuli – A World on Music Paper, that invites visitors on a long and contemplative journey into Arvo Pärt’s unique compositional style – tintinnabuli. Interactive book pages bring Arvo Pärt’s musical world to life through descriptions, images, animations and soundscapes. The exhibition is organised in honour of Arvo Pärt’s jubilee year and marks his 90th birthday.

The classical music website Bachtrack has published its annual overview of classical music concerts worldwide for 2024. According to Bachtrack’s statistics, Arvo Pärt’s music was performed last year more than any living composer apart from John Williams, who topped the rankings. Other composers in the list included Philip Glass, Caroline Shaw, John Adams, Jörg Widmann,

The Arvo Pärt Centre and its Endowment sincerely thank and congratulate long-term supporters Anna Elam, Peter Elam Håkansson and LaSpa Group, who have been honoured by the Minister of Culture with the Culture Friend of the Year award, which they received at a gratitude ceremony held last evening. The Centre also congratulates long-time collaborator and