The Robert F. Byrnes Institute (REEI) at Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies was recently highlighted in the Indiana Daily Student for its Jan. 23 event honoring the 90th birthday of renowned Estonian composer Arvo Pärt.
The evening featured a lecture by ethnomusicologist Jeffers Engelhardt of Amherst College, who explored the intersections of Pärt’s Orthodox Christian faith and Estonian identity in his music. IU’s NOTUS Contemporary Vocal Ensemble, led by Dominick DiOrio, performed a program of Pärt’s works and related compositions, drawing a standing ovation from the audience.
Estonian ambassador Kristjan Prikk attended the event and spoke with attendees about Estonia’s cultural presence on the world stage. He also expressed appreciation for IU’s Estonian language program, which is the only university in the United States offering advanced Estonian language instruction.
The event was a collaboration between the Estonian Embassy, the Jacobs School of Music’s Department of Musicology, and several units within the Hamilton Lugar School, including the Byrnes Institute (REEI), the Department of Central Eurasian Studies, the Institute for European Studies, and the Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center.
Read the full Indiana Daily Student story, “IU’s Byrnes Institute honors composer Arvo Pärt’s 90th birthday with lecture, performance,” for more on the event.