Mart Jaanson

b. March 31, 1966 Tartu
Member of the Estonian Composers' Union since 2005

Musicologist, composer, pedagogue and clergyman Mart Jaanson has written mainly sacred choral music, songs and chamber music for various ensembles.

Jaanson has studied piano in Tartu Children’s Music School and music theory and piano in Heino Eller Tartu Music School. He graduated from the Tallinn Conservatory in composition under Prof. Eino Tamberg in 1992 and obtained the master degree in musicology at the Estonian Academy of Music in 2002 (tutor Prof. Mart Humal, thesis Sequence of Sound and Components of Sound in Igor Stravinki’s sacred ballad Abraham and Isaac). In 1988–1990, he improved his skills in Estonian Goethe Gymnasium and 1992–1993 in Vienna Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Prof. Kurt Schwertsik’s class as a grantee of Austrian Ministry of Science and Research, later Alban Berg Foundation. In 1999, Jaanson graduated from the Tartu University in theology and in 2003, Pastoral Seminary of the Theological Institute of the EELC. From 2003, he is ordained minister. In 2014, Jaanson defended his doctoral dissertation The Grammatical, Theological and Musical Categorization in the Nicaea-Constantinople Declaration of Faith in the Faculty of Theology of the Univeristy of Tartu (tutors Docent Urmas Petti and Prof. Mart Humal).

Jaanson has worked as a teacher of music theory subjects (1994–2006), head of the music theory department (1997–1999) and director (1999–2001) in Tartu Heino Eller Music School. He has been a lecturer of music theory at the Teachers College of the University of Tartu (2001-2005) and department of arts of the Tartu Uniersity since 2003. Ministerial work has bound him to Nõo Congregation of the EELC from 2003 and E.E.L.C. deanery in Canada (2005–2006). Jaanson is a dean of EELC Valga Deanery since 2017.

Jaanson’s attention is focused on introducing contemporary and 20th century music and intersections of theology and music. He has organised new music festival Tartu New Music Days (1995–1996) and Tartu New Music Festivities (1997–1998), Tartu Sacred Music Festival (1999) and Estonian Young Composers’ Festival (2002–2004). He is the charter member of Estonian Arnold Schoenberg Society (chairman 1995–2003). He has presented papers and publicated articles, translations and cristicism both as a musicologist and theologist.

Mart Jaanson is the laureate of annual prize of cultural magazine Kultuurileht (1994) and music section of magazine Teater.Muusika.Kino (2008).

Look also: Estonian Research Information System

 

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