A native of Estonia, Arvo Pärt at first wrote in a neo-classical style. He later developed a language of his own through the exploration of the twelve-note system and other avant-garde techniques. This led on to an interest in early music, tempered by deep religious feeling, and culminated in his unique ‘tintinnabuli’ style. The most frequently performed work of this new style is Tabula Rasa, while Collage über BACH belongs to the early 1960s serial period, and the Symphony No. 3 is heavily indebted to Pärt’s study of early polyphony and Gregorian chant.