They met during their school years in Tallinn. Lea dreamed of becoming a ballerina, while Veljo was drawn to music. During those early days, they also collaborated on several songs that went on to gain wider recognition — with Lea writing the lyrics and Veljo composing the melodies. Shortly after finishing school, they married, and Lea Rummo became Lea Tormis. When Lea left for Moscow to study theatre studies, Veljo followed her there. It was thanks to this move that he earned his composition diploma from the prestigious conservatory in the Soviet capital.

When they returned to Tallinn in the mid-1950s, each pursued their own professional path. Lea became a highly respected theatre scholar, critic, and professor over the years, while Veljo gained renown as a composer.

Their most notable collaboration, unsurprisingly, took place on the stage. In 1980, Estonian Ballads premiered at the Estonian National Opera — a stage work in which Veljo composed the music and Lea shaped the text into a conceptual whole using traditional folk songs. The result remains one of the most powerful theatrical works in Estonia to this day.

Just as a void was left in Estonian music after Veljo Tormis, the Estonian theatre world will not be the same after the passing of Lea Tormis.

Photo: Liina Märtson (Kõrveaia, 2017)