rom 1976 to 1980, Erkki-Sven Tüür, studied percussion and flute at the music school in Tallinn, and later composition with Jaan Raats (1980-1984) at the Estonian Academy of Music before taking private lessons with Lepo Sumera.

In 1979, he founded a rock band "In SPE", became one of the most popular in Estonia. Tüür then worked as a composer, flutist, "keyboard player" and singer in this set.

From 1989 to 1992 he taught composition at the Estonian Academy of Music.

With the beginning of "perestroika" his music became known outside Estonia. The success of his work in Finland "Insula deserta" in 1989 was a the beginning of a series of commissions. Thus he composed "La recherche de racines. Hommage à Sibelius (1990) for the Helsinki Philharmonic and Architecture et VI (1991) commissioned by the Helsinki Festival.

Other commissions are passed: the American Waterways Wind Symphony Orchestra, Stockholm Saxophone Quartet, The Hilliard Ensemble, Piano Circus, The Grieg Trio, Choeur de la Radio de Cologne and Rascher Saxophone Quartet, Estonian State Symphony Orchestra, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Royal Flanders Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Dortmund Opera (opera Wallenberg), Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra Philharmonia ...

The music of Erkki-Sven Tüür is heard more and more frequently throughout Europe, but also in North America, Australia and Japan. In March 2003, Paavo Järvi, artistic director of Cincinnati Symphony, toured with the L'Exode Tüür United States, at Carnegie Hall in New York. "Concerto pour violin" was performed with Isabelle van Keulen, and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra Paavo Järvi at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, London, in August 2003.

His works are planned for various festivals such as Bang on a Can (New York), Border Crossings (Toronto), Musica (Strasbourg), Stockholm New Music, Vale of Glamorgan Festival, Festwoche Berlin, Salzburg Festival, Lockenhaus Chamber Music Festival, Lucerne Festival, Klangspuren, Wien Modern, Gstaad Festival, Emerging Light (London), Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Musica Nova Helsinki.

Erkki-Sven Tüür received numerous awards, including the cultural prize of the Republic of Estonia in 1991 and 1996 and The Art of Baltic Assemble Prize in 1998.

He lives and writes between Tallinn and Island Hiiumaa.

Most of the recordings of his music are found with ECM.