Kustas Kikerpuu

October 19, 1937 Tallinn–October 20, 2008 Tallinn
Member of the Estonian Composers' Union since 1983
Member of the Estonian Performers Union since 2000

Composer, jazz musician, conductor and pedagogue Kustas Kikerpuu has remained in the Estonian music history as the grandee of Estonian light music. His melodical, romantical and warm-hearted songs have reached at people’s hearts and found the place in the treasury of singers’ repertoire. He gave a remarkable contribution to Estonian musical life also as a longtime editor of music broadcasts in the Estonian Television.

Kustas Kikerpuu graduated from the Tallinn Music School in choral conducting in Harri Ilja’s class in 1961. Between 1990–1995 he took part in the jazz music courses in Imatra (tutors Herb Pomeroy, Jiggs Wigham, Maria Schneider).

In 1963–1964, Kikerpuu was active as a musician in the Estonian SSR State Philharmony. In 1965–1976, he worked in Estonian Television as a conductor of ensemble and music editor, he called to life several series like "Horoskoop" (1968–1973), "Entel-tentel" (1968–1969), "Trika-trei" (1970–1971) and "Big-bänd" (1991). Thereafter, in 1976–1985, he was a music director at advertisement office "Eesti Reklaamfilm" and conductor of light music orchestra Levimo, in 1985–1993 conductor of Estonian Radio Concert Orchestra and Bigband. In 1993–2002 he worked as a teacher of theory subjects in Georg Ots Tallinn Music School (head of pop/jazz department since 1995) and from 2002 in Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. With the ETV ensemble he gave concerts in Finland, Czechoslovakia, Germany (1968) and Belgium (1970), with Estonian Radio Bigband he performed in Finland (incl. Imatra Big Band Festival in 1990 and 1992), Sweden (1992), Norway (1991) and Germany (1993).

About 200 songs form the main part of his oeuvre, almost all of them are written on his own texts. Many of them have gained prizes at Estonian song contests: "This beautiful land", "This joy is from the life itself", "Come, wind", "The hope doesn’t disappear", "Spring comes with the liverworts in hands". Also other songs have gained a wide popularity: "Rowans glow once again", "Drummer girl", "You are my heart", "Forgive me", "Dance song" and others. His music have been performed almost all Estonian light music singers, furthest Jaak Joala, Ivo Linna, Tarmo Pihlap, Heidy Tamme and Helgi Sallo. In addition to songs, Kikerpuu has written music for films, theatre plays, instrumental pieces and made jazzy orchestral arrangements of reknown melodies of Estonian composers (Raimond Valgre, Leo Tauts, Arne Oit, Lembit Veevo, Edgar Arro, Vello Lipand). Also he has created texts for songs by other composers.

Kustas Kikerpuu has recieved the Estonian SSR annual prize for music (1983), Count Basie Prize of Finnish Big Band Federation (1997) and Annual Prize of the Endowment for Music of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia (2006). In 2001, he was ascribed the Order of the White Star IV Class.

There have been released the compendiums with his songs "Kustas Kikerpuu laule" (The Songs of Kustas Kikerpuu, Warner/Chappell Music Finland, 1997), "Laule. Kustas Kikerpuu" (Songs. Kustas Kikerpuu, Eesti Raamat, 1977) and author-CD-s "Päike ikka paistma jääb" (H.-M. Arder, 2009) and "Kustas Kikerpuu. 48 parimat laulu" (Kustas Kikerpuu. 48 best songs, Hitivabrik, 2007). Also he has written schoolbook of jazz harmony "Jazzharmoonia" (SP Muusikaprojekt, 2006). In 2011, publishing house Varrak gave out the biographical book "See saatana salakaval muusika" (That Cunning Music of the Devil).
 

© EMIK 2013

The texts on the EMIC's homepage are protected by the copyright law. They can be used for non-commercial purposes referring to the author (when specified) and source (Estonian Music Information Centre).