Lembit Veevo

December 16, 1926 Tartu – December 29, 2000 Tallinn (buried at Tallinn Forest Cemetery)
Member of the Estonian Composers' Union since 1961

Composer and longstanding pedagogue has remained in Estonian music foremost as the creator of thoughtful and immersing choral music as well as an author of popular and children songs.

Lembit Veevo graduated from Tallinn Music School in music theory and choral conducting under Helvi Voore in 1956 and Tallinn Conservatory in composition in the class of Villem Kapp in 1961.

He worked as a pedagogue of music theory subjects in Tallinn Children’s Music School (1956–1961) and Georg Ots Tallinn Music School since 1961.

Lembit Veevo’s early works include among others symphonic poem Shadows and five vocal-symphonic pieces, later period presents him as a master of miniatures. The main part is formed by vocal music: choral and popular songs. Songs like "Junipers", "Blossoms", "How many days", "Night herdman" and others may be counted as choral music pearls.

His songs have been performed at Estonian Song Celebrations: "My Tribes" (1985), "Summer wind" (in 2009). From among Veevo’s numerable popular songs the most well-known is "Romance" which has been in the treasury of repertoire of several Estonian singers. Also "Snowfall", "Clock ticktock", "You know by yourself", "Not yet", "On the seashore", "Sun sank into the seabed" have gained fame. Many of the choral and popular songs have been awarded at composition contests. Lembit Veevo has written music for seven feature films directed by Kaljo Kiisk.

As a solo instrument, Veevo has used less traditional ones such as guitar, accordion and Estonian folk instrument kannel. Impromptu (1978) is factually the first Estonian solo guitar piece. Special place in Veevo’s oeuvre belongs to children music – he is the author of popular songs that have been performed in children song contests for decades ("Conga of bear’s greenwood", "Home of frogs", "My grandmother").

Lembit Veevo’s music is characterised by intimate way of expression, fine and sensitive. His miraculously colorful harmony once shows crisp tones, another time there are jazzy sounds. He has given detailedly processed shape to his ideas.

His songs have been published in two authorial compilation (1972, 1976).

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