Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Arvo Pärt

Role / Field:

Estonian composer known for minimalist style and the invented tintinnabuli technique.

Born:

1935-09-11

Century / Era:

1935s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Arvo Pärt (Estonian pronunciation: [ˈɑrvo ˈpært]; born 11 September 1935) is an Estonian composer. Since the late 1970s, Pärt has worked in a minimalist style that employs tintinnabuli, a compositional technique he invented. Pärt's music is in part inspired by Gregorian chant. His most performed works include Fratres (1977), Spiegel im Spiegel (1978), and Für Alina (1976).

Pivotal Works & Achievements

From 2011 to 2018, and again in 2022 and 2025, Pärt was the most performed living composer in the world. The Arvo Pärt Centre, in Laulasmaa, was opened to the public in 2018. Pärt was born in Paide Järva County Estonia, on 11 September 1935. He was raised by his mother and stepfather in Rakvere in northern Estonia. He began to experiment with the top and bottom notes of the family's piano as the middle register was damaged.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Pärt's musical education began at the age of seven when he began attending music school in Rakvere. By his early teenage years, Pärt was writing his own compositions. His first serious study came in 1954 at the Tallinn Music Middle School, but less than a year later he temporarily abandoned it to fulfill military service, playing oboe and percussion in the...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Abimael Guzmán — Shared historical date (09-11 · Died) (2021): Peruvian Maoist revolutionary leader, founder of the Shining Path.
• Albert Soboul — Shared historical date (09-11 · Died) (1982): Influential French historian specializing in the French Revolution and Napoleonic eras.
• Adnan Khashoggi — Historical peer (Born in 1935) (1935): Saudi businessman and arms dealer, known as 'The Great Gatsby of the Middle East'
• Agha Hashar Kashmiri — Historical peer (Died in 1935) (1935): Pioneering Urdu poet, playwright, and dramatist known for Shakespearean adaptations.
• A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada — Historical peer (Died in 1977) (1977): Pioneering global spread of Krishna consciousness teachings and the Hare Krishna mantra.
• A Certain Ratio — Historical peer (Born in 1977) (1977): English post-punk band known for blending funk, disco, and Latin percussion.
• Adolf Dassler — Historical peer (Died in 1978) (1978): Pioneering German cobbler and inventor who founded the sportswear giant Adidas.
• 1935 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1935
• September 11 (09-11) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on September 11

Frequently Asked Questions about Arvo Pärt