On May 8, composer Lepo Sumera, one of the greatest symphonists among the Estonian composers, would have celebrated his 60th birthday. Besides of composing, Lepo Sumera was also a valued professor of composition at the Estonian Academy of Music (1978-2000), Chairman of the Estonian Composers' Union (1993-2000) and the Estonian Minister of Culture (1988-1992).
On April 30, at 7 pm, a memorial concert will be held in the Estonia Concert Hall with four works by Lepo Sumera: Suite from ballet The Lizard (Yashcheritsa), Piano concerto, Three Sonnets for soprano, reader, boys’ choir and symphony orchestra, and the 5th Symphony. The works will be performed by Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and the Boys Choir of Estonian National Opera under conducting of Arvo Volmer, as soloists Helen Lokuta (mezzo soprano) ja Kadri-Ann Sumera (piano) will appear, and actor Aarne Üksküla as reciter.
The concert will be broadcasted by Klassikaraadio, the real-time video will be available on the web site: http://www.err.ee/otse/eri
Lepo Sumera (08.05.1950 – 02.06.2000) list of works includes six symphonies, four concertos and four cantatas, a number of other small-scale orchestral works, three ballets, music for various dance and multimedial performances, and chamber opera „Olivia’s Master Class”. He has written a lot of music for different chamber ensembles, and has been one of the pioneers in Estonian academic electronic music.
In addition, Sumera has created music for more than 40 animation, documentary and feature films, and gained recognition with it several times. In 1990, his music for Tauno Kivihall’s animation film was awarded as the best film score in film festival Espinhos in Portugal.
Lepo Sumera has studied composition at the Tallinn Music High School with Veljo Tormis, at the Tallinn State Conservatoire as a last student of Heino Eller, after Eller’s death with Heino Jürisalu, and has taken postgraduate studies at the Moscow Conservatoire with Roman Ledenjanov.
In 1971–1980, Sumera worked as sound engeneer at the Estonian Radio, since 1978 he taught composition at the Estonian Academy of Music, many of his students – Mari Vihmand, Märt-Matis Lill, Mirjam Tally and Tauno Aints – are today active composers. Lepo Sumera was also one of the founders and one of the first heads of electronic music studio of Estonian Academy of Music.
Malle Maltis