Oxford celebrates Arvo Pärt's 90th birthday with festival of concerts

World-renowned Estonian composer Arvo Pärt's 90th birthday is set to be celebrated in Oxford, U.K. this month with a special festival of concerts featuring his music.
From November 11-16, the city of Oxford will celebrate Arvo Pärt's 90th birthday with a special festival of concerts, talks and reflections on his timeless music.
The program features a host of outstanding musical artists and ensembles from the U.K. and Estonia, including Britten Sinfonia, The Carice Singers, M4gnet String Quartet, Vox Clamantis, Sten Heinoja and many more. All are coming together to honor Arvo Pärt's profound and spiritual musical legacy.
The opening concert of the "Arvo Pärt at 90: A Reflection" festival in Oxford on November 11 features Pärt's "Fratres" and "Berlin Mass," in addition to music by Haydn.
In addition to live concerts throughout the week, the festival also invites visitors to see a more personal side of Pärt, while also highlighting his impact on present-day global culture.
On Wednesday, November 12, Arvo Pärt's son, Michael, will hold a discussion David James, a founding member of the Hilliard Ensemble, about his father's life and works.
"Music…is not just about sound, but a deep connection between the past and the present, between cultures and traditions, and between individual experiences. In my father's work, this connection is embodied in the way he draws from early music traditions while creating something contemporary," said Michael Pärt.
The festival concludes on November 16 with a screening of Richard Curtis' classic romantic comedy "About Time," which feature's Pärt's "Spiegel im Spiegel" as a prominent part of the soundtrack.
The film highlights Arvo Pärt's wide-reaching contribution to contemporary culture and is also the closing event of the Ultimate Picture Palace's autumn season of films that feature Pärt's music.
More information about the events to commemorate Arvo Pärt's 90th birthday in Oxford is available here.
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Editor: Michael Cole










