Composer, ECU member since 2016Born on 07.10.1994
Estonian-born composer Jonas Tarm writes music shaped by his country’s rich choral tradition, combining contemporary concert music with a cinematic sense of atmosphere and emotional narrative. Based between New York and Tallinn, his work spans the concert hall, film, and interdisciplinary collaborations, frequently exploring themes of memory, belonging, and the idea of home. Whether writing for choir, orchestra, or screen, Tarm is drawn to music that creates emotional landscapes through clarity, atmosphere, and expressive storytelling.
His music has been commissioned by leading orchestras and ensembles, including the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, the New York Virtuoso Singers, Boston Musica Viva, the New York Youth Symphony, and the Estonian Song Festival. His works have been performed internationally by ensembles including the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn, Camerata Notturna, and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra.
Alongside his concert music, Tarm is an active film composer. His recent scores include Béla Baptiste’s award-winning The Obelisk, recorded with the Collegium Musicale choir, and Nathan Hilgartner feature film No Choice. He has also contributed to productions including Charlie Kaufman’s I’m Thinking of Ending Things (Netflix), M. Night Shyamalan’s Old, and Benjamin Cleary’s Golden Globe-nominated Swan Song (Apple TV+), working across creative and music production roles.
Tarm’s music has been performed internationally at venues including the Forbidden City Concert Hall (Beijing), New World Center (Miami), Merkin Hall (New York), and the Pärnu Music Festival, and has been frequently broadcast by Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR).
His work has been recognized with the ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Award, the Black Nights Film Festival Music Meets Film Award, and the National YoungArts Award.
A passionate supporter of Ukraine, Tarm co-founded Estonia Sings for Ukraine, a nationwide fundraising initiative that brought together thousands of singers in support of humanitarian relief through his arrangement of Oi u luzi chervona kalyna. Tarm earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in composition, both with honors, from the New England Conservatory, where he studied with Michael Gandolfi, Anthony Coleman, Stratis Minakakis, and other distinguished composers and conductors.
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