Uno Naissoo (born 25 March 1928,

Viljandi Viljandi (, , , , ) is a Populated places in Estonia, town and Municipalities of Estonia, municipality in southern Estonia with a population of 17,255 in 2024. It is the capital of Viljandi County and is geographically located between two major ...

– 5 January 1980,

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 ...

) 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 jazz musician. In 1952, he graduated from

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 ...

. Naissoo then taught music theory subjects at Georg Ots Tallinn Music School from 1952 to 1980. He has also directed several ensembles, including Swing Club (1947–1957), Rütmikud (1948–1950). Naissoo Unn has been a member of

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 1954. His son is pianist and composer

Tõnu Naissoo Tõnu Naissoo (born 18 March 1951) is an Estonian composer and jazz pianist. Naissoo Tõnn was born in Tallinn. He is the son of composer Uno Naissoo. He began studying classical piano at the age of six at the Tallinn Music School, graduating i ...

Awards

* 1965 Estonian SSR Merited Art Worker * 1976 Annual Music Award of Estonian SSR * 1978 Estonian SSR People's Artist

Selected works

* 7 jazz suites * song "My home" * song "When it’s Midsummer Day" * song "The May began in March" * choral song “The Woodpecker’s Warning” (original "Metsa telegramm")

References

1928 births 1980 deaths People from Viljandi 20th-century Estonian composers Estonian songwriters Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre alumni People's Artists of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic Honoured Workers of the Arts Industry of the Estonian SSR Burials at Metsakalmistu {{Estonia-musician-stub