Heino Eller

Heino Eller (7 March 1887 – 16 June 1970) was an Estonian composer and composition teacher.

Eller was born in Tartu and took private lessons in violin and music theory, played in several ensembles and orchestras, and performed as violin soloist. In 1907 he entered the St Petersburg Conservatory to study violin. From 1908 to 1911 he was a law student. In 1920 Eller graduated from Petrograd Conservatory.

From 1920 to 1940, Eller was a professor of music theory and composition at the Tartu Higher School for Music, during which time he formed the Tartu school of composition which gave rise to many composers, including Eduard Tubin.

In 1940, he became a professor of composition at the Tallinn Conservatory, and taught there until his death in 1970. He was named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1967.

Eller was a legendary composition teacher. The school he formed in Tartu counterbalanced to so-called Tallinn school headed by Artur Kapp. Eller’s pedagogical talent is versatile. The list of his pupils offers the best proof of it - each of them have created distinguished original style.

Among his students were:

• Villem Kapp
• Kaljo Raid
• Boris Kõrver
• Anatoli Garshnek
• Leo Normet
• Valter Ojakäär
• Uno Naissoo
• Arne Oit
• Jaan Rääts
• Heino Jürisalu
• Arvo Pärt
• Alo Põldmäe
• Lepo Sumera
• Boris Parsadanian

Eller composed primarily instrumental music. His symphonic works, especially Koit and Videvik break new ground for Estonian symphonic music. His musical language contains a lot of national traits, but his mind was opened for influences as impressionism, expressionism and other directions of 20th century European music.

Some of his most important works are:

Tone Poem "Twilight" (1917)
Tone Poem "Dawn" (1918)
Elegia for Harp and Strings (1931)
Concerto for violin and orchestra in B minor (1937)
Five Pieces for String Orchestra (1953)