Arvo Pärt

Estonian composer Arvo Pärt (born 1935) is the founder of the style known as holy minimalism, which employs the harmonic simplicity of American minimalism in the service of devout spirituality. In the 1970s, Pärt developed his distinctive sound using a technique he called tintinnabulation, which combines the bell-like clarity of triads with step-wise melodic movement. The majority of his music has religious themes even though it is primarily intended for concert rather than liturgical performance. His best-known works include the instrumental pieces Fratres, Spiegel im Spiegel, and Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten, and the choral works Summa, Magnificat, De Profundis, and Passio. —allmusic guide