Rudolf Tobias

Rudolf Tobias was born on May 29, 1873, in Käina on the Baltic island of Hiiumaa. Graduating from the Saint Petersburg Conservatory in both organ and composition under Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Tobias composed the first Estonian overture, string quartet, and piano concerto.

Settling in Berlin in 1910, Tobias taught at the Royal Academy of Music. In Leipzig in 1909, he conducted the world premiere of his magnum opus, the colossal biblical oratorio Des Jona Sendung (Jonah's Mission), a massive work for soloists, multiple choirs, and grand orchestra that placed Estonian music on the European symphonic map.