Gustav Ernesaks

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This article is about the composer and choir conductor. For the weightlifter, see Gustav Ernesaks (weightlifter).

Gustav Ernesaks (12 December 1908 in Perila, Peningi Parish – 24 January 1993 in Tallinn) was an Estonian composer and a choir conductor.

He played an integral role in the Singing Revolution and was one of the father figures of the Estonian Song Festival tradition. One of his songs, set to Lydia Koidula's poem Mu isamaa on minu arm, became an unofficial national anthem during the years of Soviet occupation; ironically, he was also the composer of the Anthem of Estonian SSR used between 1945 and 1990.

A statue of him was erected in 2004 on the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds.

Gustav Ernesaks' grave at Metsakalmistu cemetery.

Honours and awards

This article incorporates information from the equivalent article on the Russian Wikipedia.
Soviet Union

Hero of Socialist Labour (1974)
People's Artist of the USSR (1956)
Stalin Prizes;
- 2nd class (1947)
- 3rd class (1951) – for the opera Tormide rand ("The Coast of Storms"; 1949)
Lenin Prize (1970)
Order of Lenin, three times (1974, 1951, 1967)
Order of the October Revolution (1978)
Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1946)
Order of the Badge of Honour, twice (1965, 1988)

Estonia

Order of the Estonian Red Cross, 5th class (1938)
Honoured Artist of the Estonian SSR (1942)
People's Artist of the Estonian SSR (1947)
State Prize of the Estonian SSR (1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1959, 1965)

Authority control	WorldCat VIAF: 79172510 LCCN: n80146530 ISNI: 0000 0001 0844 9222 GND: 11882029X BNF: cb14010986z

Persondata
Name	Ernesaks, Gustav
Alternative names
Short description	composer and choir conductor
Date of birth	12 December 1908
Place of birth	Perila, Peningi Parish
Date of death	24 January 1993
Place of death	Tallinn

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