Composer Anna Pärt takes musical goals one step at a time

Composer Anna Pärt, the granddaughter of Arvo Pärt, is pursuing her musical ambitions step by step, ERR’s Vikerraadio reported. She said that following her heart with each small step would ultimately lead her in the right direction.

“I was born in Iceland and Icelandic was my first language. My mother is from Iceland and my father is Estonian. I began studying music in Estonia,” said Pärt, who is studying classical composition in England.

Pärt has also lived in Germany and New Zealand. She said learning Estonian had taken time and that she needed to refresh the language after spending periods in England.

Her Icelandic grandparents visited Estonia in 1992, before Pärt’s parents had met. She said their memories of Tallinn’s Old Town and the way people dressed at the time remained vivid.

“Iceland’s phenomenon is similar to Estonia’s. We are both small countries and have had to fight for ourselves and somehow manage. There is a close-knit atmosphere,” Pärt said, noting the similarities between Icelanders and Estonians.

Pärt said she had previously been given opportunities to write music for short films and a production for young people. She is now writing a piece for the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, describing it as the biggest project she has undertaken.

The piece will be performed on September 23 at a concert by Täht-Lee Liiv at Mustpeade maja. Pärt will have 10 minutes at the beginning of the concert to present her work.

Her daily creative work is also heavily influenced by university projects, which leave little spare time.

Pärt said artificial intelligence was strongly disliked at her university, where students can also study jazz and electronic music. She said electronic music students faced even stricter expectations because live performances were emphasised.

“I hope people still value something created with another person’s love,” Pärt said.