Composer, actress, director, ECU member since 2024Born on 28.02.1998
Astra Irene Susi is an Estonian composer, actress and director whose work lies at the intersection of contemporary music, theatre and audiovisual art. Her artistic development has been shaped by extensive studies in composition and acting, as well as her experience with various performing arts and contemporary music theatre.
Susi began studying composition at the age of nine at Tallinn Music High School, graduating in 2017 with specialisations in piano and composition. She subsequently studied classical composition under Professor Helena Tulve at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, where she also earned her master’s degree. In 2019, she studied as an exchange student at the Berlin University of the Arts (Universität der Künste Berlin), taking composition classes with Mathias Hinke and Kirsten Reese. She also graduated as an actress from the 31st class of the Drama School of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.
Susi’s artistic practice focuses on the dramaturgical potential of music and the relationships between sound, movement, space and visual imagery. She is interested in how music can tell stories, shape stage action and create emotional and perceptual landscapes. Her work combines classical composition, experimental musical language and performative means of expression, exploring new possibilities for bringing different artistic disciplines together.
As a composer, Susi has created works for the concert stage, written music for theatre and film projects, and developed music theatre productions.
Among her notable original music theatre productions are Vankumatu (2024) and Un_stus (2025), in which she combined directing, composition, conceptual development and visual scenography. In 2026, Susi was responsible for the overall staging and artistic concept of Valguse sünd (The Birth of Light), a staged concert production premiered at the Estonian Music Days festival. Bringing together new works by three Estonian composers, the project united contemporary music and theatre, exploring the interaction between sound, words, the body and space. Susi’s artistic approach drew on the imagery of inner awakening and heightened awareness, treating music not merely as a sonic medium but also as a means of dramaturgical and theatrical expression.
Alongside her artistic work, Susi has taught composition at Pärnu Music School. Her artistic interests are driven by a desire to expand the expressive possibilities of music and explore how sound can function as an independent dramaturgical force on the concert stage, in theatre and in film.
Selected Works and Artistic Achievements
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2026 – Valguse sünd (The Birth of Light), premiere at the Estonian Music Days festival.
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2025 – Un_stus, director, concept creator, scenographer and composer, Südalinna Theatre.
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2024 – Vankumatu (Unwavering), director and composer, Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre Black Box.
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2023 – Montagna Verde, for five singers and harpsichord.
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2021 – Terra Nullius, music theatre production in collaboration with Edoardo Micheli, Haus der Statistik, Berlin.
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2021 – Desolation of the Mind, audiovisual work.
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2019 – Coming out of the Womb, Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre Sinfonietta.
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2017 – The Crash, for string orchestra, vibraphone and cymbals.
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