At the core of Helena Tulve’s music is unceasing change and the associated processes in time and space. Her music is rooted in simple elementary impulses, being affected by natural patterns, organicity and universal life energy.
Helena Tulve studied composition at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre with Erkki-Sven Tüür and with Jacques Charpentier at the CNR de Paris from which she graduated in 1994. She also studied Gregorian chant and traditional music at CNSMD de Paris. Tulve has attended György Ligeti’s and Marco Stroppa’s summer courses as well as an electronic music course at IRCAM.
Since 2000, Helena Tulve has been on the faculty of composition at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.
Tulve has been a composer in residency at the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir (2001-02), Pärnu Järvi International Summer Festival (2012), Estonian National Symphony Orchestra (2012-2013), at Båstad Chamber Music Festival (2017) and at Rencontres Utopik in Nantes, France (2018).
Helena Tulve has also worked together with artists and has written film music and music for theatre performances and dance. Her music has been published on three monographic albums, Sula (Eesti Raadio, 2005), Lijnen (ECM, 2008) and Arboles lloran por lluvia (ECM, 2014).