On July 9, 60 years pass from the birth of Mati Kuulberg (1947–2001), a productive composer of chamber music. After the studies at the Tallinn Music High School’s violin department, Kuulberg graduated from the Tallinn Conservatoire in composition with Anatoli Garshnek in 1971. Later he worked as a violinist in the Estonian TV and Radio Symphony Orchestra and taught music theory and composition at the Georg Ots Tallinn Music High School and Tallinn Music High School. Today’s composers Mirjam Tally, Timo Steiner and Mihkel Kerem were students of Kuulberg.
Kuulberg's oeuvre takes in almost all of the primary genres of music. His body of works include five symphonies and small scale orchestral works, instrumental concertos, three ballets, large scale choral works and pieces for solo instruments. The most valuable part of his heritage is instrumental chamber work. Mostly following traditional form shaping his chamber music is characterized by dense and rich in contrasts mood of expression.
The work of Mati Kuulberg has been published by Eres Edition, Antes Edition, Edition 49 and SP Muusikaprojekt.