Arvo Pärt

»I discovered that it is enough if a single note is played beautifully,« Arvo Pärt once summed up his musical creed. After starting out in the avantgarde, he found his way to deliberately simple music in the 1970s, inspired by medieval chants and the contemplative sound of church bells. The focus here is on the pure, beautiful triad, which Pärt uses to fashion meditative, almost trance-like soundscapes. His idea was well received by audiences: for many years he was the most frequently performed living composer. To mark his 90th birthday in September, some of his best-known works are now on the programme in four concerts.