Biography

Erkki-Sven Tüür started his musical activity in the second half of the seventies as a leader of progressive rock band, influenced by the music of King Crimson, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Mike Oldfield, Frank Zappa, Yes and Genesis. In the second half of the eighties he entered Estonian music life as a professional composer. 
Instrumental music makes up the main body of Tüür’s work. He is the author of eight symphonies, several instrumental concertos, a lot of chamber music and an opera.

Tüür uses in his work a broad spectrum of compositional techniques. He has been interested in Gregorian chant and minimalism, linear polyphony and microtonality, twelve-tone music and sound-field technique. To describe his attempt to contrast and combine musical opposites – tonality versus atonality, regular repetitive rhythms versus irregular complex rhythms, tranquil meditativeness versus explosive theatrically – the composer has used the term “metalanguage”. The works “Zeitraum” (1992), “Architectonics VI” (1992), “Crystallisatio” (1995) and Symphony No. 3 (1997) are the most representative examples of this method. 

Since Symphony No. 4 (“Magma”), Tüür has used the term “vectorial method” to describe his music: “The most important difference from the earlier approach is the fact that on a grass roots level, the entire composition is encapsulated in a source code – a gene, which, as it mutates and grows, connects the dots in the fabric of the whole work. Why vectorial? An important role in voice leading is played by the position on the “blueprint” of the various directions and “curves.” I perceive them as vectors, which are defined by intervals (which are in turn indicated by a sequence of numbers). In any case, what one hears (especially in the harmonies) is very different from the “metalinguistic” work of the past decade. The system is fairly flexible; still, the central organizational principle is important. The first pure example is “Oxymoron”. Everything since (“Aqua,” “Meditatio,” Symphony No. 5, “Noesis,” Piano Concerto, “Strata” (Symphony No. 6) and “Prophecy”-Accordion Concerto) was written using a vectorial approach.”

Erkki-Sven Tüür studied percussion and flute at Tallinn Georg Ots Music High School (1976–1980) and composition with Prof. Jaan Rääts at the Tallinn Conservatoire (1980–1984). He also took private lessons from Prof. Lepo Sumera in Tallinn and trained his skills in the field of electronic music in Karlsruhe.
In 1979, Tüür founded the progressive rock ensemble In Spe, where he was engaged as composer, flautist, keyboardist and vocalist until 1983.
Tüür worked as an adviser at the Estonian Composers’ Union (1983–1985) and musical director of the Vanalinnastuudio Theatre (1987–1990). From 1993–1995, he taught composition at the Estonian Academy of Music (Helena Tulve being the only student to date).

Since 1995, Tüür is a freelance composer, his works mainly commissioned by world-famous performers and frequently premiered abroad before reaching the home public. Tüür also closely collaborates with Estonian musicians, including the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, the NYYD Ensemble, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, and many more.

His breakthrough work was 1989’s “Insula deserta”, which Finnish premiere by the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra conducted by Juha Kangas was followed by many commissions from Finland and other countries. A vivid example is the “Architectonics” series: the first two works were commissioned by Estonians (I by the Jaan Tamm Wind Quintet in 1984 and II by the Estonia Theatre Trio in 1986), “Architectonics III. Postmetaminimal Dream” (1990) by the Los Angeles based ensemble, California E.A.R.Unit, “Architectonics IV. Per cadenza ad metasimplicity” (1990) by the Canadian group Sound Pressure, “Architectonics V” (1991) by New York guitar virtuoso John Tamburello, “Architectonics VI” (1992) by the Helsinki Festival and “Architectonics VII” (1992) by the Festival Musica (Strasbourg, France).

Tüür was also commissioned to compose new works for the American Wind Symphony Orchestra (“In memory of clear water,” 1990), Stockholm Saxophone Quartet (“Lamentatio,” 1995), Bachwoche Ansbach (“Lighthouse,” 1997), Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra (Violin Concerto, 1998, Piano Concerto, 2006), Cabaza Percussion Quartet (“Motus II,” 1998), Dortmund Opera (“Wallenberg,” 2001) and others. Tüür’s works have been premiered by the Hilliard Ensemble (“Excitatio ad contemplandum,” 1996), David Geringas and Lausanne Chamber Orchestra (Cello Concerto, 1997), City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Paavo Järvi (“Exodus,” 1999), Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz under the baton of Ralf Otto (“Aditus,” 2000), Pedro Carneiro and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (“Ardor”, marimba concerto, 2001), the percussionist Evelyn Glennie and the Royal Flanders Philharmonic Orchestra (“Magma,” 2002), the WDR Choir and the Raschèr Saxophone Quartet (“Meditatio,” 2004), Australian Chamber Orchestra (“Whistles and Whispers from Uluru”, 2007) etc.

Tüür’s compositions have also been performed at many festivals, including Border Crossings in Toronto (1990: “Architectonics IV”), Bang On A Can (New York) (1992: String Quartet), Vale of Glamorgan Festival in Wales (1996: “Excitatio ad contemplandum,” “Transmission,” “Action. Passion. Illusion”; 2002: Cello Concerto), Wien Modern (1997, 1998), the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (1998: “Passion,” Requiem; 2001: “Transmission”), Musica Nova in Helsinki (1998: Symphony No. 3, “Architectonics VI,” “Crystallisatio,” “Lighthouse”), Warsaw Autumn (2001: Symbiosis), Les Boréales in France (2002: “Architectonics VI,” “Passion”), MaerzMusik in Berlin (2003: “Architectonics VI”), Klangspuren in Schwaz (2003: “Aditus,” “Oxymoron,” “Magma”), Icebreaker II in Seattle (2004: “Fata Morgana”), Europamusicale in Germany (2004: “Architectonics VI,” “Oxymoron”), as well as festivals in Strasbourg, Salzburg, Gstaad, Celtenham and Oxford.

On March 31, 2003 Erkki-Sven Tüür’s music was premiered at Carnegie Hall (“Exodus”: the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra conducted by Paavo Järvi) and on  August 1 of the same year at the BBC Proms (Violin Concerto: Isabelle van Keulen, BBC Philharmonic conducted by Paavo Järvi).
On February 1, 2005, Tüür’s Symphony No. 5 for big band, electric guitar and orchestra was premiered at the ECLAT New Music Festival in Stuttgart, with Olari Elts conducting the SWR Big Band and Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra.

On September 2007 Tüür was the composer-in-residence of “Auftakt” festival in Alte Oper, Frankfurt. On July 2008 he was composer-in-residence of Davos Festival.

Erkki-Sven Tüür is one of the artistic directors of the International New Music Festival NYYD and honorary doctor of the Estonian Academy of Music. He has received the annual Estonian Music Prize (1987, 1988), Estonian Culture Prize (1997), Baltic Assembly Culture Prize (1998), Great Bear Prize (1996, 1997), second class Order of the White Star (2000), Annual Prize of the Estonian Music Council (2003) and Annual Prize of the Endowment for Music of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia twice: in 2003 for CD „Exodus”; in 2005 for artistic direction of the international contemporary music festivals NYYD.
In 1995, Tüür’s Requiem (in memory of Peeter Lilje) was one of the recommended works at the UNESCO’s Rostrum of Composers in Paris.

Erkki-Sven Tüür’s works are published by Edition Peters. Recordings of Tüür’s music have been released by ECM, BIS, Erdenklang, Ondine, Virgin, Teldec etc.

© EMIC