On January 28, the Estonian Cultural Endowment gave its annual awards of the year 2011 at theatre Endla in Pärnu. Award of the year 2011 was awarded to composer Anti Marguste for his music that bears and develops values of Estonian 
folk music, ethnic traditions and national heritage.
Additionally, 30 special foundations’ awards of Estonian Cultural Endowment were awarded. The Music Foundation award was given to Veronika Portsmuth and Raul Talmar for youth song and dance celebration Maa ja ilm in 2011.
Anti Marguste, celebrated his 80th birthday on August 5 in the past year, is the author of a number of large and small scale works – he has written 6 symphonies, concertos and chamber music, songs and choral works. The music by Anti Marguste is largely based on Estonian runo songs. Next to calm observation on life and irony, also humour can be found in his music. In his choral music Marguste pays great attention to the text – it is characterised by the precision in saying, pointillism and amplification through the music.
Anti Marguste graduated from the faculty of Economics of the Tallinn Polytechnical Institute in 1953 and from the Tallinn Conservatory in composition with Mart Saar and Anatoli Garshnek in 1960. From 1962 to 2001, Marguste taught music theory and Estonian folk music at the Tallinn Georg Ots Music School. He has also served as the head of the music section of the newspaper Sirp.
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