Estonian-American Jonas Tarm (b. 1994) has focused in recent years primarily on work as a composer for the concert stage and film. Various ensembles have commissioned him to write original music, including the New York Virtuoso Singers, the Chicago Beethoven Festival, Fraternity Ugala and the New York Youth Symphony. His work has also been performed worldwide by ensembles such as the Wurttemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn in Germany, the Camerata Notturna Orchestra in New York, the New World Symphony Players in Miami. Jonas has worked closely with the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and its celebrated artistic director, Risto Joost, since 2013. The Tallinn Chamber Orchestra has premiered three of Jonas’ major works and have performed his works worldwide.
Jonas has worked as a composer and music producer for film production companies such as Mida’s Cave and Studio 1H Media. He recently finished the score to Mida Chu’s film “There Was a Beginning” which was recorded by the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and Mikk Murdvee. Among other upcoming events is Jonas’ Estonian Song Festival debut this summer with the newly commissioned work “Päike laulab” (“The Sun Sings”) for symphony orchestra.
Jonas started studying music in Estonia. At 7, he began violin studies at Tallinn’s Old Town Educational College with Annely Karin, and sang in one of the school’s boys choirs. At 10, his family moved to Chicago where his musical education kicked into high gear, including violin studies with Portuguese violinist Gerardo Ribeiro and composition studies with Matthew Hagle and Mischa Zupko at the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy. At 14, he completed his first composition for the solo piano. At 18, Jonas’s compositions started to be recognized with numerous awards including the American Society of Composers, the Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Foundation Morton Gould Composition Competition Award, being first rank in the National YoungArts Award for Music Composition and first prize in the USA nationwide Music Teachers’ National Association (MTNA) Composition Contest.
Jonas received his bachelor’s degree from the New England Conservatory with artistic and academic honors in 2016 where he studied with Efstratios Minakakis, Anthony Coleman and John Mallia. He will be completing his master’s degree studies with Efstratios Minakakis and Michael Gandolfi at the New England Conservatory this May with the Francis Judd Cooke Scholarship.