Miina Härma

About

Miina Härma was Estonia's first professional female composer, choir director, and organist. Her monument stands at Miina Härma Gümnaasium in Tartu.

Story highlights

• Estonia's first professional woman composer, organist, and choir leader.
• Trained at the St. Petersburg Conservatory and brought that craft home.
• Conducted at the 1928 Song Festival, a landmark for women on the podium.
• A Tartu school and monument keep her name in daily student life.

Pronunciation

/miːnɑ hærma/

MEE-nah HAIR-mah

Cultural flavour

• first Estonian professional female composer, organist, and choir conductor
• studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory when few Estonian women trained abroad
• conducted at the IX Estonian Song Festival (Laulupidu) in 1928
• Miina Härma Gümnaasium in Tartu still carries her name for young singers and scholars
• monument by Juta Eskel (1984) stands beside the school that bears her name
• wrote choral works that entered the Song Festival canon and village choir folders
• treated rehearsal like conversation - clear cues, warm corrections, steady tempo