Arvo Pärt

Born in Estonia in 1935, Arvo Pärt developed a style he calls tintinnabuli — bell-like, radiantly simple music of profound stillness. Works such as Spiegel im Spiegel, Für Alina and Fratres strip music to its essence: a few notes, vast space, deep calm. For years the most-performed living composer in the world, Pärt has influenced musicians far beyond the classical sphere. Performed live, his music creates a silence you can almost touch.