Ülo Vinter
(3. January 1924 – 2. July 2000)
Composer – Master of the Musical Language of Stage Works.
Ülo Vinter was a composer whose creative legacy is primarily made up of stage works and music for puppet and television films, which have accompanied the upbringing of several generations in Estonia.
He began his musical studies in music theory at the Tallinn Music School (graduated 1951) and continued at the Tallinn State Conservatory in composition, initially under Mart Saar and later under Villem Kapp (graduated 1956).
From 1956 to 1969, Vinter worked as a music editor at Estonian Radio, and from 1969 to 1986, he served as a music editor for Eesti Telefilm and Eesti Reklaamfilm. His creative legacy includes numerous stage works, including musicals and ballet, as well as music for puppet and television films. His best-known work is the children’s musical Pippi Longstocking (1969, in collaboration with Ülo Raudmäe), which has been the most frequently performed on Estonian theatre stages. The premiere production alone was performed 410 times at the Estonia Theatre.
In addition, Vinter composed music for many beloved films, including “Mehed ei nuta” (1968), “Noor pensionär” (1972), and “Siin me oleme” (1979). His song “Laul Põhjamaast” has become part of the golden repertoire of the Song Festivals.
A television recording titled “Külas Ülo Vinteri juures” (1994) is available in the archives of Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR), in which Ülo Vinter recalls his long-standing work as an editor at Eesti Telefilm.
The texts have been compiled using materials from Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR) and the Estonian Music Information Centre (EMIC).