Music from the Baltic states is finally gaining recognition in the wider world. Works by Arvo Part have become something of a cult in Britain and have probably introduced many British people both to other Estonian composers and also to Estonia itself. For other fans of classical music it was the conducting family of Jarvi, particularly Neemi Jarvi, who introduced the Estonian repertoire to audiences worldwide. Many Baltic politicians have a musical background, and frequently they are involved with more strongly nationalistic politics, often appealing to a sense of culture that concentrates on place and nation. But at the same time, globalization is causing difficulties for cultural policy-makers trying to stabilize cultural identity in the Baltics.
Globalization can have contradictory tendencies.
It opens up a range of previously unavailable culture to the wider world - yet a stronger tendency is that it has a very strong negative impact on the cultures of smaller nations. Since independence the rapid introduction of liberal economic policies in the Baltic states has hit the arts and cultural sector hard. This is part of a general trend that has affected the arts in the United States and the rest of Europe. This displays a lack of understanding of the need to develop a national culture in which all people living in Estonia can take part, and the role of the state in protecting this. State investment in culture is essential.