In part 2 of my feature on Interesting Estonian Personalities, my guest on the Talk Music Podcast is Mari Sild—an extraordinary artist and scientist who seamlessly blends both worlds to inspire, innovate, and make a difference:
By day, as a Senior Project Manager in clinical research, she plays a key role in developing new medications for migraines, hemophilia, and cancer, with past experience spanning work in cardiovascular, infectious diseases, immunology, ophthalmology, and oncology treatments.
Beyond the science, Mari is also a passionate and boundary-pushing musician. Trained as a classical pianist in Estonia, she later forged her own path, creating a genre she calls Nordic fusion—a mesmerizing blend of the likes of jazz, alt-pop, and indie rock. You can find her performing in clubs and festivals, or composing and releasing songs in various languages. Her recent collaboration with Cuban musicians led to what is likely the world’s first-ever salsa song in Estonian—a true testament to her love for musical storytelling across cultures.
We dive into her childhood in rural Estonia, learning to play her grandmother’s piano, touring with a symphony orchestra as a teenager and ultimately facing the difficult choice of whether to pursue music or science. We also talk about her love of travel, performing on trains (which I also love!), and her deep passion for protecting nature.
It truly was a fun conversation I enjoyed very much. Mari leads a fascinating, multifaceted life, and you won’t want to miss this episode!
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