Arvo Pärt Centre

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Arvo Pärt Centre (APC) is a private foundation in Laulasmaa, Estonia, created in 2010 by Arvo Pärt and his family. Its main purpose is to maintain the composer’s personal archive, run a library, and host education, research, and concert activities. The centre serves an international audience and is funded by the government, donations, and earned revenue. Michael Pärt serves as chairman and Anu Kivilo as managing director; the staff was about 17 people in 2019.

Located about 35 km west of Tallinn, the centre opened its new building in October 2018. The project was designed by Spanish firm Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos after an international competition won in 2014. Construction cost around 6.7 million euros and was funded by the Estonian government. The cornerstone was laid in June 2017, and the opening featured concerts and remarks from Arvo Pärt, politicians, and cultural leaders. The first public concert in the new building followed on October 14, 2018.

The centre aims to be open to anyone interested in Pärt’s music and ideas. It offers guided tours, and educational programs for both children and adults, along with lectures, seminars, and research conferences in collaboration with other institutions. During COVID-19, the centre briefly closed in 2020 but reopened the same year.

At the heart of the APC is Arvo Pärt’s personal archive and library. Most archival materials are original documents from the composer’s family, with many items dating from the 1970s; earlier papers are kept elsewhere or in private hands, but the centre holds copies and digital materials accessible on site. The library contains more than 2,000 books from Pärt and Nora Pärt’s private collection, focusing on music and Orthodox theology, plus CDs, scores, and works about Pärt.

The centre also functions as an international information hub on Arvo Pärt, sharing up-to-date information about his life and music. Its 150-seat concert hall hosts both the centre’s own events and performances by invited artists. The building’s distinctive design sits in a pine forest and includes a helical observation tower with views of the Baltic Sea, extensive glass walls, and an Orthodox chapel in a courtyard.