Gustav Ernesaks (12 December 1908 – 24 January 1993) was an

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

n composer and a choir

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Biology and medicine * Bone conduction, the conduction of sound to the inner ear * Conduction aphasia, a language disorder Mathematics * Conductor (ring theory) * Conductor of an abelian variety * Cond ...

.Teletutvus: Gustav Ernesaks
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Biography

Gustav Ernesaks was born on 12 December 1908 in

Perila Perila is a village in Raasiku Parish, Harju County in northern Estonia. Composer and choir conductor Gustav Ernesaks Gustav Ernesaks (12 December 1908 – 24 January 1993) was an Estonian composer and a choir conducting, conductor. Bio ...

. He was educated at the

Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre The Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (''Eesti Muusika- ja Teatriakadeemia'') began as a mixed choir of the Estonia Society Musical Department (EMD) on the eve of World War I. The assembly of the Estonia Society created the Tallinn Higher Musi ...

where he was a pupil of

Juhan Aavik Juhan Aavik (29 January 1884, in Holstre, Kreis Fellin, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire – 26 November 1982, in Stockholm, Sweden) was an Estonian composer. Aavik studied music composition at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. He ...

and Artur Kapp. After completing his education, he founded the first professional choir in the history of Estonia in 1944, the State Academic Men's Choir (now the Estonian National Male Choir). Ernesaks played an integral role in the

Singing Revolution The Singing Revolution was a series of events from 1987 to 1991 that led to the restoration of independence of the three Soviet-occupied Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania at the end of the Cold War. The term was coined by a ...

and was one of the father figures of the

Estonian Song Festival The Estonian Song Festival (, or simply ) held since 1869, is one of the largest choral events in the world, a Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. It i ...

tradition. One of his songs, a setting of

Lydia Koidula Lydia Emilie Florentine Jannsen ( – ), known by her pen name Koidula, was an Estonian literature, Estonian poet. Her sobriquet means '(Lydia of) The Dawn' in Estonian language, Estonian. It was given to her by the writer Carl Robert Jakobson. Sh ...

's poem ''

Mu isamaa on minu arm "Mu isamaa on minu arm" ("My Fatherland is My Love") is an Estonian poem by Lydia Koidula. The poem was first set to music for the first Estonian Song Festival in 1869 by Aleksander Kunileid. "Mu isamaa on minu arm" became a popular patriotic ...

'', became an unofficial

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European ...

during the years of

Estonian SSR The Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, (abbreviated Estonian SSR, Soviet Estonia, or simply Estonia ) was an administrative subunit ( union republic) of the former Soviet Union (USSR), covering the occupied and annexed territory of Estonia ...

. His performance of the song at the XVII Estonian Song Festival was one of the inspirations for

Dmitri Shostakovich Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, group=n (9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his First Symphony in 1926 and thereafter was regarded as a major composer. Shostak ...

's 1970 a capella choral cycle, ''

Loyalty Loyalty is a Fixation (psychology), devotion to a country, philosophy, group, or person. Philosophers disagree on what can be an object of loyalty, as some argue that loyalty is strictly interpersonal and only another human being can be the obj ...

''. He dedicated the score to Ernesaks, who also premiered it in Tallinn. He also composed the Estonian SSR anthem used between 1945 and 1990. In 1935, Ernesaks married Stella Merjam. They had three sons: Ott Ernesaks, Jüri Ernesaks and Peep Ernesaks. His wife died in 1973. Ernesaks died in

Tallinn Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...

on 24 January 1993 aged 84. A statue of him was erected in 2004 on the

Tallinn Song Festival Grounds The Tallinn Song Festival Grounds () are the grounds on which the Estonian Song Festival "Laulupidu" is held every five years. History of song festivals In 1869 Johann Voldemar Jannsen established the Estonian Song Festival while the nation was ...

Honours and awards

;Soviet Union *

Hero of Socialist Labour The Hero of Socialist Labour () was an Title of honor, honorific title in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries from 1938 to 1991. It represented the highest degree of distinction in the USSR and was awarded for exceptional achievem ...

(1974) *

People's Artist of the USSR People's Artist of the USSR, also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to artists of the Soviet Union. The term is confusingly used to translate two Russian language titles: Народный арти ...

(1956) * Stalin Prizes; **2nd class (1947) **3rd class (1951) – for the opera ''Tormide rand'' ("The Coast of Storms"; 1949) *

Lenin Prize The Lenin Prize (, ) was one of the most prestigious awards of the Soviet Union for accomplishments relating to science, literature, arts, architecture, and technology. It was originally created on June 23, 1925, and awarded until 1934. During ...

(1970) *

Order of Lenin The Order of Lenin (, ) was an award named after Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the October Revolution. It was established by the Central Executive Committee on 6 April 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration bestowed by the Soviet ...

, three times (1974, 1951, 1967) *

Order of the October Revolution The Order of the October Revolution (, ''Orden Oktyabr'skoy Revolyutsii'') was instituted on 31 October 1967, in time for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was conferred upon individuals or groups for services furthering communis ...

(1978) *

Order of the Red Banner of Labour The Order of the Red Banner of Labour () was an order of the Soviet Union established to honour great deeds and services to the Soviet state and society in the fields of production, science, culture, literature, the arts, education, sports ...

(1946) *

Order of the Badge of Honour The Order of the Badge of Honour () was a civilian award of the Soviet Union. It was established on 25 November 1935, and was conferred on citizens of the USSR for outstanding achievements in sports, production, scientific research and socia ...

, twice (1965, 1988) ;Estonia *

Order of the Estonian Red Cross The Order of the Estonian Red Cross (; ) was instituted in 1920 by the Estonian Red Cross Society. The Order of the Estonian Red Cross is bestowed in order to give recognition for humanitarian services rendered in the interests of the Estonians, ...

, 5th class (1938) * (1942) *

People's Artist of the Estonian SSR People's Artist of the USSR, also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to artists of the Soviet Union. The term is confusingly used to translate two Russian language titles: Народный арти� ...

(1947) * State Prize of the Estonian SSR (1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1959, 1965)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ernesaks, Gustav 1908 births 1993 deaths People from Raasiku Parish People from Kreis Harrien Members of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, 1955–1959 Members of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, 1959–1963 Members of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, 1963–1967 Members of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, 1967–1971 Soviet composers Soviet male composers 20th-century Estonian classical composers Estonian choral conductors Estonian opera composers Soviet opera composers Estonian male classical composers National anthem writers 20th-century Estonian composers 20th-century Estonian male musicians 20th-century Estonian conductors (music) Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre alumni Academic staff of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre People's Artists of the USSR People's Artists of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic Honoured Workers of the Arts Industry of the Estonian SSR Heroes of Socialist Labour Recipients of the Stalin Prize Recipients of the Lenin Prize Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the October Revolution Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Recipients of the Order of the Badge of Honour Burials at Metsakalmistu