Tiina Mattisen

Musicologist, ECU member since 2002
Born on 14.07.1951

Tiina Mattisen has worked primarily as a music editor and journalist. In the 20th century, she identified more strongly as a journalist, while in the 21st century, she has come to see herself primarily as an editor. Her education under Helju Tauk at Tallinn Music High School (graduated in 1969) and the Tallinn State Conservatory (graduated cum laude in 1974) has enabled her to remain as close as possible to the magic of music without composing or performing it herself.

Her varied professional career has included positions at the Tallinn State Conservatory Library (1970–1973), Estonian Radio (1973–1984), and the cultural weekly Sirp, where she served as music editor from 1984 to 2003 and again from 2009 to 2016. At Sirp, she was also deputy editor-in-chief (1992–1994 and 1997–2003) and a member of the editorial board (2003–2009). From 2003 to 2009, she headed the Literature and Arts Department at the Estonian Encyclopaedia Publishers. Since 2016, she has been one of the editors of the magazine Muusika.

In 1991, Tiina Mattisen was among the founders of the magazine Musical Estonia and the compilers of its inaugural issue (as well as the German-language edition Das Musikalische Estland in 1992). From 2004 to 2022, she compiled and edited issues 7–14 of the Estonian Music Council’s magazine Music in Estonia. She was also among the founders of the magazine Muusika.

She served on the first council of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia’s Music Foundation. She was a member of the Estonian Theatre Union’s annual music theatre awards jury in 2005–2012, 2015, 2018–2019, and 2022–2023. From 2007 to 2012, she also served on the advisory council for the Estonian Ministry of Culture’s programmes Private Concert Organisers and Private Ensembles.

Selected Works and Creative Achievements

Compiler and editor

  • Being in an Ensemble: Helju Tauk 75 (Ansamblis olemine: Helju Tauk 75), co-compiled with Madis Kolk, 2004.
  • Who is Who in Estonia: Music, 2004.
  • Estonian Music Biographical Lexicon (Eesti muusika biograafiline leksikon), Volumes I (2007) and II (2008).
  • Peeter Lilje: A Life of Promising Beginnings (Peeter Lilje. Elu kui paljutõotav algus), co-compiler and contributing author, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, 2018.

Project initiator and manager

  • Enzo Restagno, Arvo Pärt in the Mirror (Arvo Pärt peeglis), 2005.
  • Kalli, Pärnograafia, 2006.

Editor

  • Viller, Erich Kõlar: Listen Yourself into the Music (Erich Kõlar. Kuulake ennast muusikasse), 2012.
  • A House That Carries an Idea (Üks mõtet kandev maja), anniversary publication of the Estonian National Opera, 2014.
  • S. Fischer, Hortus Musicus: Fifty (Hortus Musicus. Viiskümmend), 2022.
  • T. Nahkur, Conversations with Myself (Vestlusi iseendaga), Volume I (2022) and Volume II (2024).
  • A. and M. Mikk, Time Given to the Estonia Society (Estonia Seltsile antud aeg), 2023.
  • Alive. Resonant. Creative (Elav. Helisev. Loov), celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Estonian Composers’ Union, 2025.

Journalism, radio, and publications

Tiina Mattisen has produced hundreds of radio programmes, including the nightly reports on the 1979 Glinka International Vocal Competition and the cultural programme of the 1980 Olympic Games.

She has published numerous articles on music, primarily in the cultural weekly Sirp, as well as in magazines such as Teater. Muusika. Kino, Muusika, Upptakt, Tallinn, Music in Estonia, and Kultuur ja Elu, and in daily newspapers including Hommikuleht and Postimees.

Her notable articles in Teater. Muusika. Kino include Andres Mustonen Responds (Vastab Andres Mustonen, No. 10, 1994) and Conductors on a Conductor (Dirigendid dirigendist, No. 10, 2000).

She has conducted numerous radio and newspaper interviews with distinguished musicians from Estonia and abroad, including Edison Denisov, Alfred Schnittke, Giya Kancheli, Avet Terterian, Pēteris Vasks, Valentin Silvestrov, and Yevgeny Svetlanov. She has also extensively covered and reported on musical events.

In addition, she has contributed to the compilation and editing of reference publications issued by the Estonian Encyclopaedia Publishers, including Estonian Encyclopaedia 12 (EE12), A&O: A Million Facts, A&O: Estonia, Järvamaa (Volumes II and III), and Pärnumaa (Volume II), among others.

Awards and Recognition

  • 2006 — Order of the White Star, Fifth Class, awarded by the Republic of Estonia.
  • 2007 — Annual Award of the Music Foundation of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.
  • 2016 — Estonian Music Council Award.
  • 2021 — Annual Award of the magazine Teater. Muusika. Kino for the 11-part article series A Turbulent Journey as a Young Chief Conductor: ERSO and Peeter Lilje, 1980–1990 (Tormiline teekond noore peadirigendina. ERSO ja Peeter Lilje 1980–1990), published between 2018 and 2021.