Estonian composer Rudolf Tobias (1873-1918). The first Estonian professional composer, as well as professional organist. After graduation at the St. Petersburg Conservatoire in 1897 he started to work as the organist and choirmaster of the Estonian St. John's Church in St. Petersburg. In 1904 he moved to Tartu where he worked as a music teacher. In 1908 Tobias left for Western Europe, where he first stayed in Pars for a while, and then he went to Germany.