Ester Mägi

Ester Mägi (10 January 1922 – 14 May 2021)[1] was an Estonian composer.[2] She has been called the "first lady of Estonian music."[3][4][5]

Education

She trained under Mart Saar at the Tallinn Conservatoire,[6][7] then from 1951 to 1954 at the Moscow Conservatory under Vissarion Shebalin.[8][7]

Career

Her compositional output ranged from chamber and vocal music to choral and symphonic works. Amongst her best-known works are her Piano Sonata (1949); Piano Trio in F minor (1950); Piano Concerto (1953); Violin Concerto (1958); Symphony (1968); Variations for Piano, Clarinet and Chamber Orchestra (1972); Bukoolika for orchestra (1983); and Vesper for violin and piano or organ (1990, arranged for strings in 1998).[9][10] Much of her work was inspired by Estonian folk music.[3][7]

She taught music theory at the Tallinn Conservatoire until her retirement in 1984.[7]

In 1999 she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Estonian Academy of Music.[7]

Death

Mägi died in May 2021 at the age of 99.[11]

References

  1. ^ Pärt, Arvo; Pärt, Nora (14 March 2021). "Grand old lady of Estonian music Ester Mägi dies". Arvo Pärt Centre. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  2. ^ Campbell, R.M. (2004-02-12). "Chamber Players chip away at more barriers with Baltic Voices". Seattlepi.com.
  3. ^ a b Tambur, Silver (2021-05-17). "Ester Mägi, the first lady of Estonian music, dies at 99". Estonian World. Retrieved 2026-02-18.
  4. ^ "Ester Mägi 85: Jubilee concert in Estonia Concert Hall". Estonian Music Information Centre. 2007-01-08.
  5. ^ Amt, Auswärtiges (2022-04-29). "Modernity defies persecution: Stefan Wolpe & Ester Mägi on a journey between folksong and utmost avantgarde". German Missions in the United States. Retrieved 2026-02-18.
  6. ^ Inno, Kersti (12 January 2007). "Kummardus Eesti muusika grand lady'le" (in Estonian). Äripäev.
  7. ^ a b c d e Lippus, Urve. "Ester MÄGI". Toccata Classics. Archived from the original on 2012-09-14.
  8. ^ Azizi, Arashk (2025-02-22). "Ester Mägi: The First Lady of Estonian Music". Tunitemusic. Retrieved 2026-02-18.
  9. ^ "Ester Mägi | Composer". Divine Art Recordings. Retrieved 2026-02-18.
  10. ^ "Ester Mägi: Orchestral Music". Toccata Classics. Retrieved 2026-02-18.
  11. ^ "Suri helilooja Ester Mägi". ERR (in Estonian). 2021-05-14. Retrieved 2026-02-18.
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