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Estonian composer Veljo Tormis died at the age of 86 on Saturday, 21 January 2017.
Born in Aru village, Kuusalu Parish, Harju County, Tormis had a profound experience with choral music starting at an early age.
When he was seven, his family moved to Kivi-Vigala village, where his father worked as a sacristan – his father was teaching music and worked as an organist at a local church. The family home also had an organ that provided Tormis with his first playing experience.
Tormis began his formal musical education in 1943 at the Tallinn Music School. In 1949, he entered the Tallinn Conservatory and continued his studies at the Moscow Conservatory (1951–1956). Soon after, he acquired a teaching position at the Tallinn Music School (1955–60), where Arvo Pärt was among his students. He held another teaching position at the Tallinn Music High School (1962–66), but by 1969 was supporting himself exclusively as a freelance composer.
The winner of the European Composer Award 2016 is Estonian composer Liisa Hirsch! Her piece “Mechanics of Flying” was performed at Young Euro Classic festival on 31 August in Berlin Konzerthaus by the Symphony Orchestra of the EAMT under the baton of Paul Mägi. The award, determined by an 11-member audience jury, is given in recognition of the festival’s best world premiere.
Liisa Hirsch (1984) studied composition at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre under Toivo Tulev obtaining her BA degree in 2009. She further improved her skills in piano under Ivari Ilja, electronic music under Margo Kõlar and improvisation under Anto Pett. Liisa is currently taking her MA degree in composition at the The Royal Conservatory of The Hague under Peter Adriaansz and Cornelis de Bondt.
The Symphony Orchestra of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre is performing tonight in Berlin Konzerthaus at the renowned music festival Young Euro Classic 2016.
Under the baton of Paul Mägi with pianist Marrit Gerretz-Traksmann as soloist the programme features “Lamentate” (2002) by Arvo Pärt, Symphony No 2 in B-Minor “The Legendary” (1937) by Eduard Tubin and a world premiere of “Mechanics of Flying” by Liisa Hirsch. The concert starts at 8 p.m. (9 p.m. in Estonia) and is live streamed by ARTE.