| Kangro, Raimo
(b Tartu, 21 Sept 1949 - d Ruila, 04 Feb 2001).
Composer. He studied piano at the Tartu Music School with Ene Arro and graduated from the Tallinn Conservatory in 1973 as composer under Jaan Rääts and Eino Tamberg. He has worked in the Estonian Composers’ Union, since 1993 in the Estonian Music Foundation in the obligation of director. At the same time Kangro teaches composition at the Estonian Academy of Music. His students have been Tõnis Kaumann, Tõnu Kõrvits. Kangro became known in the 1970’s when he was strongly influenced by Neo-Classicism and rock music. From the beginning his musical expression has been temperamental, impulsive and governed by powerful rhythm patterns. Kangro has composed music in almost all genres from opera to children’s music. He attracted attention with his first large-scale work already – Imelugu [Marvellous Story, after the Decameron], an opera staged in 1974 in the Vanemuine Theatre in Tartu. His Concerto for 2 pianos No 1 (1979) has been played in many countries (mainly by Latvian duet Nora Novik and Raffi Haradzhanjan). Especially fascinating part of Kangro’s output is his cycle of Displays, a series of musical portraits for different chamber ensembles or chamber orchestra. The Displays date from the 1990’s being commissioned by the festivals (Arsenals in Riga 1990, Schleswig-Holstein Festival 1992, Braunschweiger Tage Für Neue Musik 1996) and the interpreters (Orkest Volharding Amsterdam). Kangro has written a lot of works for children, music for the stage included. In 1999 his musical for children Juku will be staged in the Vanemuine Theatre. Kangro likes to experiment with unusual instrumentation. He has several times been commissioned by German mandoline virtuoso Detlef Teves to write music for mandoline and zither orchestra. One of them Plõksuv sümfoonia [Clicking Symphony] won the first prize on the national contest for mandoline orchestras in Germany. Selected works: Operas: Symphonic music: Vocal music with orchestra: Chamber music: Records:
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