Raili Sule

Musicologist, teacher, ECU member since 1992
Born on 16.10.1944

Raili Sule graduated from Tallinn State Conservatory in 1970 with a degree in musicology. Since 1968, she has taught music history and music theory at the Georg Ots Tallinn Music School, where she served as Head of the Music Theory Department from 1977 to 2013. In 1997, she was awarded the professional qualification of Teacher-Methodologist. Since the 2022/2023 academic year, she has been teaching at Tallinn Music and Ballet School (MUBA).

She has been a member of the Estonian Composers’ Union since 1991 and the Estonian Musicological Society since 1992. In 2008/2009, she received the Annual Award of the Music Endowment of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia in recognition of her long-standing and outstanding contribution to music education.

Raili Sule has further developed her professional expertise through numerous seminars and courses in Estonia and abroad. She has compiled educational materials and supervised graduation projects and teaching practice. In 1983, she was one of the founders of the Uno Naissoo Young Composers’ Competition and has since been actively involved in its organisation and jury work.

From 1978 to 1998, she worked as an author and presenter of music programmes for Estonian Television (ETV), and from 1994 to 2001, she was a lecturer for Eesti Kontsert.

Raili Sule has organised numerous school-level and nationwide student events. Many of her former students have gone on to pursue professional careers in music.

Major Achievements and Publications

  • Participation in working groups developing specialised music curricula and preparation of educational materials.

  • Organisation of national conferences for young researchers and supervision of student presentations.

  • Work as a cultural guide in St Petersburg for Estonian school groups, as well as a tour leader and guide for theatre groups.

  • Membership in various juries and committees, including the National Cultural Awards Committee and the jury for the Estonian Theatre Union’s annual music awards.

Selected Publications

  • 1990 – “On the Author and His Worldview”, in Leo Normet’s Värvimängud, rütmirõõmud (Games of Colour, Joys of Rhythm). Eesti Raamat.

  • 2005 – “Teatriteekond” (A Journey Through Theatre), discussing Eino Tamberg’s ballets, operas and works combining different genres, in Eino Tamberg – Tundeline teekond (Eino Tamberg – An Emotional Journey).

  • 2006 – “Eino Tamberg, Prolific Theatre Composer”, Music in Estonia, No. 8.

  • 2007 – “Estonia and the 20th Century: Estonian Opera at the Estonia Theatre”, in the collection Estonia esimene sajand (Estonia’s First Century).

  • 2015 – “2015 Is Music Year”, Journal of the British Estonian Association, Vol. 3, No. 10.

She has also published numerous articles in newspapers, collected volumes of Teatrielu (Theatre Life), and the cultural journals Muusika (Music) and Teater. Muusika. Kino (Theatre. Music. Cinema).

Her article “Chronicle of the Naissoo Competition” appeared in Muusika, No. 5, 2004.

Additional Information

  • Estonian Music Biographical Lexicon (EMBL), Volume 2, 2008.

  • Archives of the Georg Ots Tallinn Music School.

  • An interview published on the MUBA website in 2024: https://muba.edu.ee/meie-inimesed/