Arvo Pärt (born September 11 1935 in Paide, Estonia), (ˈɑr̺vɔ ˈpær̺t) is an Estonian composer of classical music. Continuing struggles with Soviet officials led him to emigrate in 1980 with his wife and their two sons. Pärt lived first in Vienna, where he took Austrian citizenship; and then he re-located to Berlin where he still lives. New York City Ballet program notes in Playbill, January 2008.

Arvo Pärt (born 11 September 1935 in Paide) is an Estonian composer, often identified with the school of minimalism and more specifically, that of “holy minimalism” or “sacred minimalism”. He is considered a pioneer of this style, along with contemporaries Henryk Górecki and John Tavener . In these days Arvo Pärt is best known for his choral works, which he started to produce in the 80s, after his emigration from former Soviet Union to Germany, Berlin. Before that he had written his m