Arvo Pärt

Arvo Pärt (born 1935)

Born in Paide, Estonia, Pärt is widely considered a pioneer of holy minimalism, alongside Henryk Górecki and John Tavener. After early experiments with serialism, his overtly devotional Credo (1968) was banned by Soviet authorities. Following a lengthy near-hiatus and his conversion to Russian Orthodoxy, Pärt reinvented his style, developing an approach he named "tintinnabuli," based on the simple three-note chord structure he associated with bells, fed by his deep interest in medieval chant and sacred choral music. 

Choral music is central to his output. Large-scale works for choir and orchestra include Passio (1982), Stabat Mater (1985), Te Deum (1985), Miserere (1989), Kanon Pokajanen (1997), and In Principio (2003), as well as numerous a cappella pieces — most rooted in liturgical texts and Christian prayer. From 2011 to 2018, and again in 2022 and 2025, Pärt was the most performed living composer in the world.

Learn more at: https://www.arvopart.ee/en/arvo-part/