Arvo Pärt is one of the two most performed, living classical composers in the world. He is most well-known for his deeply spiritual choral works, which are shaped by his tintinnabuli style (Latin for “little bells”), that gives his works their characteristic clarity and stillness.  However, this is not the only side of his music. In this Encounters, we will explore Pärt’s secular and folk inspired pieces, including Fratres for violin and piano, and Es sang vor langen Jahren for voice, violin, and viola, alongside video clips of his early film compositions. We will also feature two works by composers inspired by Pärt’s work, including Omar Daniel’s Runo Songs, and Anna Pidgorna’s Pärtian Meditation on an Invented Folksong.

TD Encounters: Another side of Arvo Pärt

Hugh's Room Live

Invocations are calls for help, but they can also be appeals for inspiration and spiritual guidance. Violin virtuoso Lara St. John, soulful singer Aviva Chernick and other guests, join the celebrated Gryphon Trio in a rich musical offering that will resonate with each of us during those vulnerable moments when we, too, seek to invoke something beyond ourselves. One such invocation is the “nign”, a wordless and originally improvised prayer stemming from Hasidic Judaism in the 18th century, and is the inspiration for several works in the program: Avner Dorman’s Nigunim, recipient of The Azrieli Prize for Jewish Music; a world premiere by James Rolfe, Metzarim; and Aaron Copland’s classic Vitebsk. The program opens with Vivian Fung’s impassioned Prayer, inspired by Hildegard von Bingen, paired with Amy Beach’s spiritual plea Invocation. It closes with Robert Schumann’s epic and soul-searching Piano Quintet in E-flat, Op. 44.

Sheila Jaffe

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Feb 9, 2026

TD Encounters: Another side of Arvo Pärt · Soundstreams

Dec 5, 2024

Invocations · Soundstreams

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