Born 11 September 1935 in Paide (Estonia).
Married to Nora Pärt.

Arvo Pärt might be considered as the main composer of contemporary sacred music. He is strongly influenced by the minimalist movement & Gregorian chant.
In 1958, he entered at the Tallinn Conservatoire & he became famous through USSR with his composition 'Our Garden'. At the beginning of the seventies, he began to use serialism in his works but he stopped. An interest for Gregorian chant & medieval music then brought a new dimension to his music. Mystic, restful & emotional might be some adjectives to describe his compositions. He is one of the most important composers of 'mystical minimalist movement' with John Tavener & Henryk Górecki.