Musicologist, educator, and publicist Tiia Järg was, for over five decades, one of the most fervent advocates of Veljo Tormis's music in Estonia.

Among her many contributions, she authored numerous articles about the composer and his work, provided liner notes for several of his albums, and featured Tormis’s music and activities dozens of times on her radio program "Järjehoidja" (word-play on her surname, Järg, and a word Bookmark), which aired regularly on Klassikaraadio starting in 2003. Indeed, "Järjehoidja" remains the most accessible legacy of her work as an enthusiast and promoter for the general public.

A vital link between Veljo Tormis and Tiia Järg was the Moscow-based educator Yuri Fortunatov, who had been a keen supporter of Tormis’s music in Russia since the 1960s. When Järg pursued her postgraduate studies in Moscow in the early 1970s, Fortunatov served as her professor. The shared inspiration Järg and Tormis drew from Fortunatov was reflected in several articles and radio broadcasts during the 1990s.

Tiia Järg had a deep love for Estonian music and its history. She delved into the finest details, drawing connections between forgotten episodes left out of history books. Above all, she was fascinated by the human aspect of music history.

As an educator, she was known to be strict and – judging by her summaries of student work "gems" in old issues of the magazine Teater.Muusika.Kino – seemingly unforgiving toward ignorance.

In 2025, those gathered to commemorate Veljo Tormis at his birthplace in Kõrveaia heard an address by Tiia Järg reflecting on the Great Composer. Some excerpts:

"... Veljo Tormis as a person – possessed of high morals, great self-dignity, and precision."

"... Reflecting on Tormis’s body of work, it seems to me that he never wrote 'just songs.' Every piece carries a message. I would like to call him a messenger."

"... It simply evokes wonder and admiration how timeless Tormis’s messages are, and how deeply they resonate. And if we consider what guarantees this message reaches us, the listeners, I believe it is the construction of the works. The structure of a composition as a carrier of the message within Tormis’s time and space is one of the most powerful in Estonian music."

"... Recall how our attitude toward folk song has changed due to Veljo Tormis’s intensive work. Tormis drew our attention to the fact that a folk melody is not just a 'theme,' but an independent, holistic art form. It is one thing to say this; it is quite another to study that art form and its conditions of existence so thoroughly that you begin to perceive it as self-evident."

"... It all repeats. As a rule, the role of a creative personality before society remains misunderstood by that society during their lifetime."