Moments of Stillness: Visiting the Arvo Pärt Centre in Laulasmaa,

A trip

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It’s not every day that you get to step into a space where silence speaks louder than sound, and music feels like prayer. During my visit to Estonia as part of a Jazzkaar-organized trip for international journalists, I had the opportunity to explore the Arvo Pärt Centre in Laulasmaa—an experience that left me with a quiet joy I find hard to describe. It was Easter time, the air was cool and fragrant with pine, and in the stillness of the Estonian forest, I felt something shift gently inside me.

The Arvo Pärt Centre, nestled among tall trees and birdsong, is more than a tribute to the composer’s legacy—it is an extension of his music and worldview. Known for his deeply spiritual and minimalist approach, Pärt created a musical language of his own called tintinnabuli, where every note feels essential and nothing is rushed. His compositions aren’t just listened to—they’re inhabited. Pieces like Für Alina or Tabula Rasa invite you to slow down, breathe, and feel time in a new way. It’s no wonder that during the pandemic, when the world was forced into stillness, many found solace in his works—ensembles like Macedonian Profundis frequently performed his music in my country, offering people something gentle and grounding to hold onto.

The Centre itself mirrors this ethos. Designed by the Spanish architecture studio Nieto Sobejano, the building doesn’t dominate its surroundings but blends into them. All glass and timber, it seems to breathe with the forest around it. The long hallways let in natural light filtered through the trees, and walking through them feels like being inside a slowly unfolding piece of music.