Eduard Tubin was born at Kallaste on the shores of Lake Peipus in Estonia on June 18, 1905. He graduated from the composition class of Heino Eller at the Tartu Music College in 1930 and was until 1944 conductor of the Vanemuine Theatre, during which time he also conducted choirs. In autumn 1944 he and his family fled to Sweden, where he worked and lived in Stockholm. A member of the Swedish Royal Music Academy, Tubin died on November 17, 1982.
Tubin’s output consisted of 10 symphonies (and the first movement of an 11th), several suites and a sinfonietta on Estonian folk tunes, a Toccata, a Prelude solennelle, Music for Strings, two violin concertos, a concerto for double bass, a concerto for balalaika, a concertino for piano. A considerable amount of chamber music, works for solo instruments, and songs for solo voice and choir, violin and viola have been recorded.