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Credo was premiered in Tallinn in 1968. In Arvo Pärt’s homeland of Estonia, this composition was viewed as a direct, personal challenge to Soviet ideology and rule. The first performance was only allowed to take place because a key bureaucrat was out of town. The public’s response was so enthusiastic that the work was banned for over 10 years until after the Iron Curtain fell. Arvo Pärt insisted that there was no political subtext to Credo.

This colossal work was the last piece that Arvo Pärt composed in a series of ‘collage’ works. Following this piece he took a long break from composing before unveiling a new style in 1976 and finding new popularity.

Arvo Pärt is now one of the most distinctive composers in contemporary music, among the most performed and recorded.