News

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden has awarded composer Arvo Pärt Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star. The Order was presented to the composer at the beginning of May, when King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden were on a state visit to Estonia. On May 3, Queen Silvia and Mrs Sirje Karis also visited the Arvo Pärt Centre, where Arvo Pärt's son Michael Pärt, the Chairman of the Centre's Council, introduced the composer's archive and the Centre's activities to the distinguished guests.

For the third year running, the Arvo Pärt Centre is awarding resident scholarships to artists in residence to provide a calm and inspiring environment for creative activities and finding new ideas. This year's recipients are Estonian writer and translator Indrek Koff and German composer Sophia Jani.

From Tuesday, April 11, you can purchase a Museum Card, which will allow you to visit more than 100 museums, galleries and experience centres across Estonia. The Arvo Pärt Centre now can also be visited with the Museum Card, which is valid as an entrance ticket to the Centre.

This year’s Polar Music Prize, Sweden’s most prestigious music prize, has been awarded to Beninese singer-songwriter Angélique Kidjo, founder of Island Records Chris Blackwell and composer Arvo Pärt.  The prizes will be awarded in Stockholm on May 23 and will be attended by the Swedish Royal Family. “The Polar Prize is a very prestigious and

The Arvo Pärt Centre is happy to announce its upcoming participation in the LOORE residency project for Ukrainian Artists. Deadline for Applications: 14th of April!

For the third year, the Arvo Pärt Centre will award residency scholarships to offer artists the opportunity to dedicate themselves to their work at the Arvo Pärt Centre. The only application round this year will open on 16 January and the deadline for applications is 31 March.

The largest classical music listings website Bachtrack published today its Annual Statistics for 2022, and once again Arvo Pärt is the most performed contemporary composer in the world. Besides Arvo Pärt, the other top five include John Williams, John Adams, Thomas Adès and Philip Glass.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI passed away today. It is with deep gratitude that Arvo Pärt remembers a great theologian and Christian role model, but also a close soul with whom he was bound by a long friendship and a special quiet relationship.

The Arvo Pärt Centre's collection of musical instruments has received a worthy addition ‒ an innovative Una Corda small piano, handcrafted by Latvian piano maker David Klavins. The piano is located in the Centre's creative room and can be used by musicians and composers residing at the Centre for their work and inspiration.

In the course of our archival work, we have come to the groundbreaking year of 1968, when Arvo Pärt composed “Credo” for piano, mixed choir and large symphony orchestra. In terms of musical material, it was a work of the 1960s, combining elements of dodecaphony, sonorism, collage and aleatoricism. This is how musicologist Merike Vaitmaa

Tomorrow, November 18, sees the opening of Arvo Pärt...and a Littlemore in Oxford, the largest festival dedicated to Pärt's work in the UK to date. Taking place across the city until November 25, the festival will feature British premieres of several of Pärt's works performed by acclaimed interpreters.

On the occasion of the 104th anniversary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu honoured diplomats and partners from Estonia and beyond with the Crosses of Merit for their notable contribution to the Estonian foreign service, foreign policy objectives and Estonian statehood. This year, alongside politicians and diplomats, the highest recognition of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also awarded to the composer Arvo Pärt.