Aaro Pertmann

b. January 10, 1971, Tartu
Member of the Estonian Composers' Union since 2002
 
Aaro Pertmann studied music theory in Tallinn Georg Ots Music School and at the same time composition under Alo Põldmäe. In 1996, Pertmann graduated from the Estonian Academy of Music in composition as a student of Eino Tamberg. In 2008, he graduated from University of Tartu's Open University Study Form in history. Currently he is a music teacher in Tallinn Old Town Adult Gymnasium.
 
Pertmann’s works have been performed by girls’ choir Ellerhein, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, Lviv KLK Symphony Orchestra, Nõmme City Orchestra, Tallinn Saxophone Quartet, New Tallinn Trio, cellists Pärt Tarvas, Andreas Lend, pianists Mati Mikalai and Martti Raide, saxophonist Virgo Veldi, harpist Tatjana Lepnurm, soprano Pille Lill, baritones Villu Valdmaa, Atlan Karp and others. His music has been presented in several places in Estonia, mainly at the Estonian Music Days Festival in the 1990s. Abroad, Pertmann's work has been performed in Latvia, Norway, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Belgium and Italy.
 
Pertmann’s choral work "Magnificat" won the III prize at the Estonian Female Song Society’s competition for new choral songs in 1997. In 2001, Serenade was awarded the III prize at the composition contest Sinfonia Baltica organized by Latvian National Symphony Orchestra in Riga. Meetings in the Dreams got the III prize at the contest for new organ pieces organized by Pärnu Organ Festival and Tallinn Organ Festival in 2007. Pertmann’s Piano Sonatina No. 3 reached among finalists at the "Maurice Ravel" International Composition Contest in Bergamo in 2016 in the category of works for solo intrument. In 2022, the orchestra piece Star Sonata was premiered in Bulgaria by the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra. Four times, the composer's chamber pieces have been played at the Osmose Festival in Brussels. Pertmann's works have also been played at the KLK New Music forums in Lviv, Ukraine.
 
In recent years, composer has often cooperated with Pille Lill Music Fund. His piano trio Masks of the Soul was performed in 2015 at the concerts organised by PLMF and dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Estonian Composers' Union. The video of concert performance of "Helletus" for string orchestra was in the program of WAV Venice Audio-Visual Show in February 2019.

Aaro Pertmann:
"I have tried to associate my music to Estonian folk music and Estonian national culture in general. I have searched world music to find something that underbears my comprehension about good music and life as such. At this point the keywords would be Schnittke, Shostakovitch, Silvestrov, Rihm. Mahler and especially Schubert from among earlier composers."

© EMIK 2008
Updated in January 2023

The texts on the EMIC's homepage are protected by the copyright law. They can be used for non-commercial purposes referring to the author (when specified) and source (Estonian Music Information Centre).