Roman Toi

b. June 18, 1916 Kõo parish, Viljandimaa County, Estonia
d. May 7, 2018 Toronto, Canada
Member of the Estonian Composers' Union since 1998

Roman Toi was a choral conductor, organist, composer and music pedagogue, Father of Song and leading figure in music life among Canadian Estonians.

Roman Toi started his musical studies in Tallinn Jakob Westholm Gymnasium under Tuudur Vettik. Toi studied in Tallinn Conservatory at first choral conducting in the class of Tuudur Vettik and organ with August Topman (1932–1936), then composition under Heino Eller and conducting with Olav Roots (1941–1944), also law in the University of Tartu (1936–1940). In 1943, he improved his skills in conducting in summer course of Mozarteum University of Salzburg under Clemens Krauss’ tutelage. From 1941–1944 he worked in Tallinn Broadcast as a music editor, commentator and conductor.

In 1944, Toi escaped to Germany, where he studied music and accounting in Stuttgart University for two years, but mainly was active as a leader of Estonian music life in Geislingen. He was the organiser of first foreign Estonian song days, including Altenstadt (1946), Augsburg (1947), Geislingen and Kempten.

Since 1949, Roman Toi has been living in Canada. He graduated from the University of Chicago in composition by distant learning in 1953. He obtained the Bachelor Degree in composition also in the Toronto Royal Conservatory of Music in 1973, Master Degree in Institute of Advanced Studies in Montreux, Switzerland in 1975, and Doctoral Degree in Union Graduate School, Cincinnati in 1977. From 1975, Roman Toi has been teaching  composition and music theory subjects in Toronto Royal Conservatory of Music.  He has been active also as an organist (Toronto St. Peter’s Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church), choral- (Toronto Estonian Male Choir, Mixed Choir Estonia) and orchestral conductor. He has been a general conductor of foreign Estonian song festivals and Estonian General Song Celebrations (1990, 1994). Toi has delivered lectures and papers on music, written articles and reviews.

Larger part of Roman Toi’s music belongs to choir works. Well-known songs are : "Aiut-taiut" (Drinking Song), "Palve" (Prayer), "Jõululaul" (Christmas Song), "Me tuleme tuhandest tuulest" (From a Thousand Gales), "Kui tume..." (How Gloomy...), "Nõmm" (Heath) and others. Beside that he has written symphonic and vocal-symphonic works and organ music.

Roman Toi is an Honorary Doctor of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre and University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy, also an Honorary Citizen of Viljandi city. He has been given the Order of the White Star IV Class (1996) and EELC Badge of Merit (2006). In 2011, he achieved the Life’s Work Award of Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church and 2015 the Life’s Work Award of the Estonian Cultural Endowment.

The edition Talmar & Põhi has published Roman Toi’s sheet music compendium "Organ Music" and CD "Roman Toi. Organ Music". His memoirs Kaunimad laulud pühendan sull’ was released in 2007.

© EMIK 2016

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).