When 91-year-old World War II refugee Jüri turned on his TV on the morning of February 24th, instead of festive Estonian Independence Day celebrations, he saw a video of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He felt light-headed and if he hadn’t already been seated in a wheelchair, he would have lost his balance. Not in a million years would he have imagined seeing Russia attacking a free country again.
In this new book Stargazing: An Extraordinary Life by Evelin Täht we discover the story of Juri Täht. He was considered a musical prodigy with perfect pitch but his dreams were interrupted by the outbreak of World War Two. No matter the difficult life circumstances, he still pursued his dream. After fleeing Estonia during World War Two, Juri Täht started a new life in America and followed his passion and became a professional cellist. He was became a long-time member of the Don Shirley Trio and performed all over the United States. You can learn more about his life here: Estonian cellist Jüri Täht