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News in pictures: the music of Arvo Pärt filled St. Francis Xavier Church in New York with people

News in pictures: the music of Arvo Pärt filled St. Francis Xavier Church in New York with people © Eleri Ever

19.09.2016

Yesterday, on 18 September, at the initiative of the President, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, a concert took place in New York's St. Francis Xavier Church to present the new album by Arvo Pärt and Vox Clamantis, "The Deer's Cry". The event brought together approximately 1,000 people.

The concert, which ended in a long applause and the audience standing up to honour the musicians, was attended by New York's leading figures in the sphere of classical music, friends of Estonia and the Estonian community in the USA at the invitation of President Ilves.

According to President Ilves, the fact that every seat was taken in the church was recognition of the music of Arvo Pärt and Estonian musicians. "Many thanks to Arvo Pärt who unfortunately is unable to be here with us today, as he is in Italy to receive yet another award for his work," said the Estonian Head of State.

President Ilves thanked the ECM record company for its invaluable work in introducing talented Estonian composers and performers all around the world. At today's concert, pieces by young composers, Helena Tulve and Tõnis Kaumann, were also performed.

The purpose of the concert and high-level reception was to support the distribution of the works of Arvo Pärt and Vox Clamantis among the US audience and to enhance the awareness of Estonia in musical, political and economic circles. The concert took place in co-operation with ECM Records and was supported by the Office of the President of the Republic, the Cultural Foundation of the President of the Republic, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Enterprise Estonia, the Estonian Consulate General in New York, Microsoft Estonia, Silberauto and Digitalsputnik.


Office of the President
Public Relations Department