Watch and listen: World-renowned Estonian composer Arvo Pärt turns 90
Internationally acclaimed Estonian composer Arvo Pärt turned 90 Thursday, greeted with a surprise performance of his most famous children's song.
On Thursday morning, Pärt was greeted at the Arvo Pärt Center in Laulasmaa by Vox Clamantis, accompanied by the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, singing "I am Already Big" — the maestro's own most popular children's song dating back generations.
Well-wishers also sang him happy birthday before he blew out the candles on his birthday cake.
Born in Paide and raised in Paide and Rakvere, Pärt studied music under Veljo Tormis at the Tallinn Music School and later composition under Heino Eller at the Tallinn State Conservatory.
He began his career as a sound engineer for Estonian Radio before becoming a freelance composer. In 1980, he left Soviet-occupied Estonia with his family, first for Vienna and then Berlin, where he lived for decades.
After Estonia regained independence in 1991, Pärt reestablished close ties with his homeland.
Estonian composer Arvo Pärt has shared with us a world of simplicity, gratitude, and humility through his tireless work. His music leads us with warmth and tenderness to what matters most—love. It is a miracle that the world has #ArvoPärt. Wishing you health and love, dear Arvo! pic.twitter.com/cnTXNfL64k
— Alar Karis (@AlarKaris) September 11, 2025
Pärt's music is known for its structural precision and profound spiritual quality. In the 1980s, he gained international recognition for developing his groundbreaking tintinnabuli style — a meditative approach to composition that has since become one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary classical music.
Over the years, Pärt and his works have earned countless accolades, including more than a dozen Grammy nominations, with wins for Best Choral Performance in 2007 and 2014.
In recent years, he has ranked consistently among the world's most performed living composers.
To mark the maestro's jubilee 90th, ERR is presenting a series of special programming (link in Estonian) across its TV channels and radio stations dedicated to Pärt's life and work.
A curated playlist is also available on ERR's online streaming platform, Jupiter.
Click here for a full biography and here for a full list of Arvo Pärt 90 concerts and events at the Arvo Pärt Center, across Estonia and worldwide.
Below, you can also explore a selection of films and videos about the composer.
"Ukuaru Waltz" (2020)
with subtitles in English
"Arvo Pärt: Diaries" (2020)
with subtitles in English
"The Tintinnabuli Forest" (2018)
"And Then Came the Evening and the Morning" (1990)
"Arvo Pärt: Songs from Childhood" (2015)
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Editor: Karmen Rebane, Aili Vahtla
