It can be said that no contemporary composer has become as well-known to the general public as Arvo Pärt is. In 2025, the music world celebrates the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt who was born on September 11th, ninety years ago. The Estonian artist writes religious music almost exclusively in his distinctive compositional style. The result is tonal music obtained through a technique which the composer calls "tintinnabula" - loosely translated as "the sound of bells." Pärt's music is unmistakable, as it is neither American minimalism, nor a return to old formats, but a world of inner silence, simplicity, and light. It is neither style nor technique, but a state of being. As the composer himself says: "I was looking for an island where my inner dialogue with God could take place." And this is his music: it is not loud, but we hear it deep within ourselves. A prolific composer, Arvo Pärt also has an impressive discography, with "Credo" and "...Lente" being two of the most recent albums created by the composer. In this anniversary edition, you will hear selected songs from these two albums, as well as an interview conducted by Ariadna Ene Iliescu with conductor Tõnu Kaljuste, one of the most important interpreters of Arvo Pärt's music, who has placed his signature on the "...Lente" album. Paavo Järvi and the Estonian Festival Orchestra shall also pay tribute to Arvo Pärt on his 90th birthday. The Estonian composer has been part of Paavo Järvi's life since childhood. He says about him that, "Arvo was my father's fashionable friend for me and my sister. He wore a baseball cap, jeans, and a denim jacket". The Järvi family history's is closely linked to Pärt's work, as the now legendary concert in which Paavo's father, Neeme Järvi, conducted Pärt's Credo in 1968 had prompted the Soviet regime to have the Järvi family blacklisted, thus hastening their departure from Estonia. "Credo" is also included in this vast program that would celebrate years of composition. What lies behind the simplicity and depth of this music? One answer may lie in a remark that Arvo Pärt had made in London during a rehearsal with Paavo Järvi: "I have the impression that the orchestra doesn't like this accord enough". The following transformation was incredible - the same notes sounded completely different when they would be played with passion.

Arvo Pärt, a composer in whom musicians take a particular interest in the Composer of the Week on October 26th, 2025 (4:30 p.m.), at Radio România Muzical.