The cultural Prize of the Republic of Estonia was ascribed to composer and publicist Valter Ojakäär, cameraman and film director Rein Maran and writer, physicist and philosopher Madis Kõiv for a long-time activity and outstanding creative achievements. Valter Ojakäär (b. 1923) has been active as a musician already over 60 years. He has introduced popular and jazz music via journalism, radio and television, he has published books on popular music and has been active as a teacher. Ojakäär has written an opera, operetta, 2 musicals, Suite for Saxophone and Orchestra, chamber music, popular songs and incidental music.
The cultural prizes for the lifework in amount of 1 million Estonian crowns were handed over on February 24, the anniversary of the Republic of Estonia, in the Estonian Academy of Science. In addition to lifework prizes, cultural prizes for an outstanding creative achievements (150 000 Estonian crowns) in 2007 was awarded to Aarne Saluveer and Maido Saar for the idea and realization of the 10th Youth Song and Dance Celebration, film director Ilmar Raag for the feature film “Klass”, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Dmitri Bertman, Arvo Volmer, Neeme Kuningas and Ene-Liis Semper for the staging of opera “Wallenberg”, conductor Ants Soots for the recordings of Veljo Tormis’s works and architects Ott Kadarik, Villem Tomiste and Mihkel Tüür for engineering houses in Tallinn Rotermann Quarter.
Edited by Mariliis Valkonen