News

Before Christmas, the Arvo Pärt Centre will close earlier than usual. On 20 and 22 December the centre will be open until 4pm. On 21 December we will be open until 3pm. From 23 December 2018 until 1 January 2019, the centre will be closed for the Christmas holidays. We look forward to seeing you again on 2 January.

For years, the author Jaan Kaplinski carefully kept the Bible, printed in 1863, which had belonged to Arvo Pärt’s grandparents. Kaplinski had repeatedly mentioned returning it to the composer and now this has taken place. The Bible is especially valuable for Arvo Pärt, because the composer’s grandmother read it to him on Sundays in his childhood.

Snow is falling… – a manuscript score with such a title, suitable for this time of year, was presented to us by the Theatre and Music Museum whom we were glad to host yesterday at the centre. The piece is a German children’s song arranged by Arvo Pärt, which was found by museum scholar Ene Kuljus, while ordering Valter Ojakäär’s collection.

Two eminent prizes will be awarded to Arvo Pärt on 25-26 November in Warsaw. On Sunday, November 25, Arvo Pärt will be awarded the Golden Medal for Merit to Culture— Gloria Artis —the highest cultural prize in Poland. Another distinguished title will be awarded to Arvo Pärt on Monday, November 26, when Poland’s oldest institution of higher education in music, the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music bestows him an Honorary Doctorate for outstanding musical achievements and for the universal depth of his works.

Today at the Estonian Academy of Arts, the Estonian Association of Construction Entrepreneurs announced that construction project manager Jaano Tootsi of Ehitustrust AS is the Builder of the Year 2018 for managing the construction of the Arvo Pärt Centre.

On 14 November 2018 the Arvo Pärt Centre will host an international conference LIGINULL (NEARLY-ZERO) organised by the Estonian Association of Architects. Due to the conference the centre will be closed to the public on that day. We apologise for any inconvenience. The conference on nearly-zero energy welcomes architects as well as specialists from ministries

On 17 October, on the day of the opening of the Arvo Pärt Centre, the Arvo Pärt Centre together with the authors presented a graphic novel and a short film about the life and creative development of Arvo Pärt.

The Arvo Pärt Centre will open its doors in Laulasmaa on 17 October 2018. This comprises the personal archive of the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt and a creative meeting place for anyone interested in his music and thoughts. Here are the series of events celebrating the opening of the Arvo Pärt Centre during 12th to 17th of October:

Anne Akiko Meyers, one of the world’s preeminent violin soloists, will perform at the very first public concert in the concert hall of the Arvo Pärt Centre’s new building. Meyers has also collaborated with Pärt before in outstanding concerts in New York and elsewhere. Her interpretations of one of Arvo Pärt’s most technically demanding violin pieces, Passacaglia, have attracted special attention.

Arvo Pärt’s Prayer. From Kanon Pokajanen  will receive its world premiere performance on 7, 8, and 11 September in Viljandi, Tartu and Tallinn at Nargenfestival Arvo Pärt Days.

Composer Arvo Pärt and the Arvo Pärt Centre commemorate the Russian conductor, pianist and multi-talented musician Gennady Rozhdestvensky (04.05.1931–16.06.2018), who passed away on 16 June.

On 19 May the Arvo Pärt Centre will again participate in the Estonia-wide event, Museum Night Estonia. For the last time, you can visit the Centre at its current location in the Aliina building. This year’s Museum Night carries the title Night of Parties and is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia.