Tallinn, Estonian SSR, USSR [now Estonia] | 1956-11-24

Sven Grünberg (born November 24, 1956, Tallinn) is an Estonian synthesizer and progressive rock composer and musician best known for his meditative organ and electronic works involving the concepts of Tibetan Buddhism. He has collaborated with the film director Olav Neuland and written the soundtracks for the most of his films. In the 1970s Grünberg was the leader of the progressive rock band Mess, which was founded by him in January 1974 together with Härmo Härm. Despite years of the band's existence and many live performances, Mess did not release a single studio album because of the contradictions of their musical style with the Soviet ideology[citation needed]; only in 1996 did Grünberg release a compilation from several surviving Mess recordings and a full remastered album in 2004. Grünberg is also the Chairman of the Board of the Estonian Institute of Buddhism.