Tõnu Kõrvits: Hymns to the Nordic Lights & Other Works

Featuring

Risto Joost
Meelis Vind
Estonian National Symphony Orchestra
Tõnu Kõrvits

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Compositional Technique

Tõnu Kõrvits often re-imagines older compositions for new groupings, a practice he shares with Renaissance, Baroque, and pop music traditions.

Performer Biography

Meelis Vind, the bass clarinetist on this album, is a self-taught jazz musician who has performed with many prominent Estonian jazz artists and founded several of his own ensembles.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Tõnu Kõrvits, the composer, views the orchestra primarily as a melodic instrument, which explains his preference for string orchestras.

Composer Biography

Kõrvits's musical background includes pop and rock music from his musician father, Tõnis Kõrvits, which influences his preference for shorter compositions and the use of rock anthem-like hymns.

Composer's Artistic Vision

The composer Tõnu Kõrvits is deeply influenced by blues music, incorporating its melodic strategies, harmony, and yearning character into his works.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Tõnu Kõrvits is interested in Estonian folk tunes, including religious folk songs of Estonian Swedes and Seto tunes, which he connects to the mythical land of Thule.

Composer Biography

Tõnu Kõrvits has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Annual Prize of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia and the Cultural Prize of the Republic of Estonia.