Anto Pett graduated from the Conservatoire of Tallinn (now renamed Estonian Academy of Musicand Theatre) as a pianist and composer. Since 1987 he has been teaching harmony and improvisationat the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.
In 1988 he discovered that improvisation was to become his main means of artistic expression.Since 2002 Anto has been a regular professor of contemporary improvisation at the Estonia Academy of Music and Theatre. During his twenty five years of teaching Anto has developed an originalimprovisation teaching method that works successfully as a teaching process with all instrumentsand singers. Many of his students have been awarded prizes at the Leipzig Improvisationcompetition.
Anto has presented his teaching method and presented masterclasses in many Music Schools ofEstonia andin several Music Academys and Conservatoires across Europe including Helsinki,Stockholm, Oslo, Haag, Utrecht, Hamburg, Odense, Paris, Bordeaux, Marseille, Riga, Vilnius,Antwerpen, Cardiff, Glasgow, Warsaw, Krakow, Gdansk, Brigthon, Vienna, Evanston andLondon.
He has directed following improvisation groups: ’Extemporists’ (1994-97) and PROimPRO (1998 -2002).In 2006 together with his main performing partners, Anne-Liis Poll (voice) and JaakSooäär (el. guitar), was established ’Free Tallinn Trio’. This ensemble hadtheir firstsuccess in the concert festival ’Christopers’ in Vilnius in 2006. These groups are invited toFestivals of contemporary music, improvisation and modern dance in Estonia, England, France,Finland, Poland, Germany, Sweden and the USA. Anto has also performed in solo improvisationconcerts in several European countries. He has also conducted improvisation orchestras in concert(e.g. GIO Glasgow Improvisation Orchestra, Vienna, Helsinki, Stockholm).
Between 2003 and 2005 Anto recorded 15 CDs together with different improvisation artists onErol Records, CGA collection (improvized music). 3 CDs with Leo Records 2010 A Tale with ’FreeTallinn Trio’, 2012 PlayWork duo with Bart van Rosmalen (cello) and 2013 – Northwind Boogy apiano duo with Christoph Baumann. Among the improvisators whom A.Pett has worked with are: KentCarter, Sylvain Kassap, Joelle Leandre, Etienne Rolin, Francois Rosse, Emile Biayenda, AlbrechtMaurer, Sten Sandell, Petras Visniauskas and Stanislaw Skoczynski. His improvisation teachingmethod ’A. Pett`s teaching system’ was published in 2007 by edition ’Fuzeau’,www.edidions-classique.com with a CD ofexercises.
Anto also has a YouTube music channel for his improvisation work: apett2001
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppMUOHU2XkU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BtdfwXkOzw
Here are some comments on the Playwork CD:
http://freejazz-stef.blogspot.com/2012/03/anto-pett-bart-van-rosmalen-playwork
http://blog.monsieurdelire.com/2012/02/2012-02-08-de-type-inconnu-van
