View source for Mihkel Lüdig

{{Short description|Estonian composer and organist}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=February 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}

{{Infobox classical composer
| honorific_prefix = 
| name             = Mihkel Lüdig
| honorific_suffix = 
| image            = <!-- Only free-content images are allowed for depicting living people – see [[WP:NONFREE]]. -->
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| caption          = <!-- Only use to add context to the image. Do not repeat just the person's name here. -->
| birth_name       = <!-- Use only if different from name in title. -->
| birth_date       = {{OldStyleDate|9 May|1880|27 April}} 
| birth_place      = 
| baptised         = <!-- Use Baptised if Born date is unavailable, do not use both. -->
| death_date       = {{Death date and age|1958|05|07|1880|05|09|df=y}}
| death_place      = 
| occupations      = composer
| flourished       = <!-- Use as a substitute for <code>born</code> and <code>died</code> where appropriate. -->
| era              = <!-- Suggest: Ancient, Biblical, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 
                   20th century, Contemporary. From [[Template:Music topics]]. Follow wording in lead and categories. -->
| known_for        = <!-- For pre-modern subjects, can be used as an alternative to the anachronistic "occupation"; not used for works (see next parameter). -->
| list_of_works    = <!-- Link to "List of works" subarticle here. Do not list individual pieces. -->
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| notable_family   = <!-- e.g. [[Bach family]], [[Mozart family]], etc. Include only those with "family" articles. -->
}}

'''Mihkel Lüdig''' ({{OldStyleDate|9 May|1880|27 April}} – 7 May 1958) was an [[Estonian people|Estonian]] composer, [[organist]] and [[choir]] [[conductor (music)|conductor]]. As a composer, he particularly worked on  [[a cappella]] choral songs. Lüdig is considered one of the major organisers of large-scale musical events in 20th century Estonia. He was born in [[Vaskrääma]], studied at both Moscow and St. Petersburg conservatories, and was a student of [[Nicolai Soloviev]].

== Events ==
Lüdig initiated and led a number of events:
* the Singing Day of [[Pärnu]] in 1903;
* the opening of new building of [[Vanemuine]] in 1906;
* the Music Day of [[Tartu]] in 1909;
* the seventh [[Estonian Song Festival]] in 1910;
* the opening of [[Endla Theatre|Endla]] in 1911.

== Business ==
Lüdig was among the founders of [[Esto-Muusika]], the most successful music supply business in Estonia of the time, and the short-lived monthly journal ''{{ill|Helikund|et}}'', edited by {{Interlanguage link|Eduard Visnapuu|et}}.

== Career ==
In 1918&ndash;1924, Lüdig worked as an [[organist]] of the [[Charles' Church, Tallinn|Kaarli kirik]].

In 1920&ndash;1922, Lüdig was an [[Pipe organ|organ]] teacher in the [[Tallinn Higher School of Music]], one of whose founders he had been in 1919.  Lüdig was also a director of the school in 1919&ndash;1923.

In 1925, Lüdig moved to [[Argentina]], hoping to find better work.  However, the rumours of lack of [[organist]]s in [[Buenos Aires]] turned out to be severely overblown, so his career there began at the post of an inn pianist; later he also [[conductor (music)|conducted]] for a local German male choir.  In 1929, Lüdig moved back to [[Estonia]].  Until 1932, he taught [[Pipe organ|organ]] playing and played it himself in [[Tallinn]]; then, he moved to [[Pärnu]] and became a conductor of the [[Endla Theatre|Endla]] society.  In 1934&ndash;1958 &mdash; until his death &mdash; he lived and worked in [[Vändra]].

The choral song "Dawn" (''"Koit"'') created by Mihkel Lüdig is traditionally the opening song of Estonian song festivals.

== Personal life ==

Mihkel Lüdig was born as the second child in a family that later had a total of 18 children.

His wife was a soprano Mathilde Lüdig-Sinkel (1882–1953),  who moved to Germany in 1939, later to the USA. 
His son Peeter Paul Lüdig (1906 - 1983), who was a pianist, organist and conductor, also left in 1939 for Germany, later he also lived in the USA.

He died in [[Vändra]].

Awards:

1955 Estonian SSR people's artist

== Sources ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081007022244/http://www.koolielu.edu.ee/eesti_muusika/composers/ludig/elu.htm Koolielu: Mihkel Lüdig]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ludig, Mihkel}}
[[Category:1880 births]]
[[Category:1958 deaths]]
[[Category:Musicians from Pärnu]]
[[Category:People from Kreis Pernau]]
[[Category:Estonian Lutherans]]
[[Category:Estonian organists]]
[[Category:Male organists]]
[[Category:Estonian choral conductors]]
[[Category:20th-century organists]]
[[Category:20th-century Estonian composers]]
[[Category:20th-century Estonian conductors (music)]]
[[Category:20th-century Estonian male musicians]]
[[Category:Saint Petersburg Conservatory alumni]]
[[Category:Moscow Conservatory alumni]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre]]
[[Category:People's Artists of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic]]
[[Category:Honoured Workers of the Arts Industry of the Estonian SSR]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Badge of Honour]]


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