Pille Kangur

b. May 31, 1966 Otepää
d. August 11, 2013 Tallinn
Member of the Estonian Composers' Union since 2004

Pille Kangur studied music theory and choral conducting in Heino Eller Tartu Music School. Her studies continued at the Estonian Academy of Music where she studied composition with Raimo Kangro and Helena Tulve. 2002/2003 Kangur improved her skills at the Karlsruhe Higher Music School in Wolfgang Rihm’s class. In 2001, Pille Kangur took part in the international composition master course in Buckow, Germany. In the same year she participated in composition and electronic music master course held within the International Bartók Seminar and Festival in Szombathely, Hungary.

Works of Pille Kangur have been performed by Nõmme City Orchestra, pianist Mati Mikalai, soprano Aile Asszonyi, flutist Oksana Sinkova, clarinetist Meelis Vind and others. Her music has been presented at the Estonian Music Days Festival, Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre Autumn Festival, international new music festival "Nyyd" in Tallinn as well as in Germany, Holland, Latvia, Lithuania, Japan and Canada.

Pille Kangur’s output consists mainly of vocal works and chamber music. Slow course of events in short forms is intrinsic to Kangur’s music where well-sounding music, minimalistic development and long melodic line are combined and create wistful sound images. Electronic means of expression have significant importance in Kangur’s work, in composer’s own words: "Electronic music is an exciting means of expressing sound fields in one’s imagination. Mostly quite simple programmes have been sufficient for expressing my ideas. As the source of electronic landscapes I have used sounds of natural instruments or sounds from surrounding environment. I’ve been captivated by the coexistence and unification of two different worlds – artificial and natural."

© EMIK 2007

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