Cyrillus Kreek

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Cyrillus Kreek (born Karl Ustav Kreek; 3 December 1889 – 26 March 1962) was an Estonian composer. He studied trombone and composition at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory from 1908 to 1916. He taught music in Haapsalu, Tartu, and Tallinn. Beginning in 1911, he collected religious folk songs in the Haapsalu region, and he was the first Estonian to use a phonograph for this purpose. His folk-inspired arrangements became a core part of Estonia's choral repertoire, and his psalm settings blend folk color with careful choral writing. His major work was a Requiem using an Estonian translation of Mozart's Requiem text. He also wrote instrumental works such as Musica Sacra, a Humoreske for orchestra, and a Suite for zithers and orchestra. Kreek died in Haapsalu in 1962.