Elze Janovna Paemurru was born as on 30 March 1917 in
Makiivka,
Russian Empire (now
Ukraine); her pseudonym was Els Aarne. Her father was the scientist (1885–1978). She studied at the
Tallinn Conservatory,
Tallinn, graduating as a music teacher in 1939 after instruction from
Gustav Ernesaks, in 1942 as pianist with
Artur Lemba and in 1946 as composer under
Heino Eller. Aarne lectured at the Tallinn Conservatory on music theory from 1944 to 1974. Aarne married the horn player (1908–1972); they had two sons, the
cellist and politician (born 1948) and Mait Paemurru. She died on 14 June 1995 in Tallinn. Els was known, among other things, as a
chamber music composer (preferring to compose for
violoncello and
double-bass); in addition, she wrote two
symphonies. ==List of compositions==