Lepo Sumera
Encyclopedia
Lepo Sumera was an Estonian
composer
and teacher. Considered one of Estonia's most renowned composers along with Heino Eller
and Arvo Pärt
, he was also his country's Minister of Culture from 1988 to 1992 during the days of the Singing Revolution
.
He was born in Tallinn
and studied with Veljo Tormis
in his teens, and from 1968, with Heino Eller at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (then Tallinn State Conservatory). After Heino Eller's death in 1970, he studied with Heino Jürisalu, graduating in 1973. He then did postgraduate study
at the Moscow Conservatory
(1979–1982) with the Russian composer Roman Ledenev. Sumera first came to notice in 1972 with In Memoriam, an orchestral tribute to Eller. He went on to compose five symphonies and numerous chamber and vocal works which have been played by orchestras throughout North America and Europe as well as in Australia and Cuba.
In the late 1980s, Sumera became increasingly interested in electro-acoustic music. He founded the Electronic Music Studio at the Estonian Academy of Music in 1995 and served as its Director until 1999. One of his best known works in this genre is the multi-media Heart Affairs (1999) which used human heart sounds that were electronically transformed during performance accompanied by echocardiograph images
, some from his own heart.
Lepo Sumera died of heart failure in Tallinn, aged 50. He was survived by his wife, the pianist Kersti Einasto whom he married in 1972, and three children.
Estonians
Estonians are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting, primarily, the country of Estonia. They speak a Finnic language known as Estonian...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and teacher. Considered one of Estonia's most renowned composers along with Heino Eller
Heino Eller
Heino Eller was an Estonian composer and composition teacher.Eller was born in Tartu, where he took private lessons in violin and music theory, played in several ensembles and orchestras, and performed as violin soloist. In 1907 he entered the Saint Petersburg Conservatory to study violin. From...
and Arvo Pärt
Arvo Pärt
Arvo Pärt is an Estonian classical composer and one of the most prominent living composers of sacred music. Since the late 1970s, Pärt has worked in a minimalist style that employs his self-made compositional technique, tintinnabuli. His music also finds its inspiration and influence from...
, he was also his country's Minister of Culture from 1988 to 1992 during the days of the Singing Revolution
Singing Revolution
The Singing Revolution is a commonly used name for events between 1987 and 1991 that led to the restoration of the independence of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania...
.
He was born in Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
and studied with Veljo Tormis
Veljo Tormis
Veljo Tormis is an Estonian composer, regarded to be one of the greatest living choral composers and one of the most important composers of the 20th century in Estonia. Internationally, his fame arises chiefly from his extensive body of choral music, which exceeds 500 individual choral songs, most...
in his teens, and from 1968, with Heino Eller at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (then Tallinn State Conservatory). After Heino Eller's death in 1970, he studied with Heino Jürisalu, graduating in 1973. He then did postgraduate study
Postgraduate education
Postgraduate education involves learning and studying for degrees or other qualifications for which a first or Bachelor's degree generally is required, and is normally considered to be part of higher education...
at the Moscow Conservatory
Moscow Conservatory
The Moscow Conservatory is a higher musical education institution in Moscow, and the second oldest conservatory in Russia after St. Petersburg Conservatory. Along with the St...
(1979–1982) with the Russian composer Roman Ledenev. Sumera first came to notice in 1972 with In Memoriam, an orchestral tribute to Eller. He went on to compose five symphonies and numerous chamber and vocal works which have been played by orchestras throughout North America and Europe as well as in Australia and Cuba.
In the late 1980s, Sumera became increasingly interested in electro-acoustic music. He founded the Electronic Music Studio at the Estonian Academy of Music in 1995 and served as its Director until 1999. One of his best known works in this genre is the multi-media Heart Affairs (1999) which used human heart sounds that were electronically transformed during performance accompanied by echocardiograph images
Echocardiography
An echocardiogram, often referred to in the medical community as a cardiac ECHO or simply an ECHO, is a sonogram of the heart . Also known as a cardiac ultrasound, it uses standard ultrasound techniques to image two-dimensional slices of the heart...
, some from his own heart.
Lepo Sumera died of heart failure in Tallinn, aged 50. He was survived by his wife, the pianist Kersti Einasto whom he married in 1972, and three children.