Olav Ehala (born 31 July 1950 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 ...

) is 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. In 1969, he graduated from Tallinn Music School and then studied composition under Eugen Kapp at the

Tallinn State Conservatory 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 ...

, graduating in 1974. From 1975 to 1991 he was the music director for the

Estonian State Youth Theater Estonian Theatre for Young Audiences, formerly ''Estonian State Puppet Theatre, Estonian Puppet and Youth Theatre and NUKU'') is an Estonian theatre located in Tallinn Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most ...

. Since 1991 he has been teaching 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 ...

and is currently a Professor Emeritus of

Music Pedagogy Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as elementary or secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a research area in which scholars do origina ...

. Ehala has been a member of both the Estonian Theatre Union and the

Estonian Composers' Union Estonian Composers' Union (abbreviation ECU; ) is an Estonian creative union which encompasses professional composers and musicologists in Estonia. The chairman of ECU is Märt-Matis Lill. Since 2005, ECU is a member of the International Societ ...

since 1977, having been a chairman for the latter between 2001 and 2014. He has composed, arranged, and been a pianist for the ensemble Kiigelaulukuuik since 1989 and is a member of many other musical collectives. He has written music for over 70 plays and 60 films.

Works

References

Living people 1950 births Estonian film score composers 20th-century Estonian composers 21st-century Estonian composers Recipients of the Order of the White Star, 5th Class Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre alumni Academic staff of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre Musicians from Tallinn Tallinn Georg Ots Music School alumni {{Estonia-musician-stub