Hey! My name is Erik Rauk (b. 2003), and I am an Estonian composer who specializes in classical music. I also play the violin and teach solfège as a part-time job.

I started my music studies at the age of seven at my local music school for children with violin as my main instrument. At the age of ten, I attended Tallinn Music High School to study the violin as my primary focus. There, I also learned to play the piano, solfège, music history, music theory, and harmony, in addition to the base subjects. As my violin repertoire expanded, I tried to compose small pieces for my instrument because I wanted to do something similar. I began to like the process of writing music, and it became a regular practice for me.

As time went on, I attended violinists' competitions, where I heard a lot of different music, and that broadened my horizons of stylistic possibilities. In secondary school, I started submitting my works to EHL's (Estonian Composers' Association) 'Young Composer' competition, where I received III, II, and I prizes. At the school graduation ceremony, I performed my piece for violin and symphony orchestra 'Nouruz' with my school orchestra.

At the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, I began studying classical composition as my major. I've been enrolled in multiple projects—sinfonietta, string quartet masterclass with Arditti Quartet, EUTERPE project, and so on.

When I write music, I like to focus on the psychological aspect of it—how listeners perceive different sounds, textures, and pitches. In addition, I try to convey raw emotional ups and downs into music, so that the listener can get a sense of the instability we have in the world. I also like to integrate religious and linguistic themes in my works.