Elze Janovna Paemurru (30 March 1917 – 14 June 1995), pseudonymously known as Els Aarne, was an Estonian composer, pianist and pedagogue, primarily during the Soviet Union. She taught at Tallinn Conservatory, her alma mater, from 1944 to 1974.
Elze Janovna Paemurru was born as on 30 March 1917 in Makiivka, Russian Empire (now Ukraine); her pseudonym was Els Aarne. Her father was the scientist Jaan Aarmann (1885–1978). She studied at the Tallinn Conservatory, Tallinn, graduating as a music teacher in 1939 after instruction from Gustav Ernesaks, in 1942 as pianist with Artur Lemba and in 1946 as composer under Heino Eller.
Aarne lectured at the Tallinn Conservatory on music theory from 1944 to 1974. Aarne married the horn player Mart Paemurru (1908–1972); they had two sons, the cellist and politician Peeter Paemurru (born 1948) and Mait Paemurru. She died on 14 June 1995 in Tallinn.
Els was known, among other things, as a chamber music composer (preferring to compose for violoncello and double-bass); in addition, she wrote two symphonies.
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Lücker, Arno (8 September 2021). "90/250: Els Aarne: 250 Komponistinnen. Folge 90: Das kann niemand erklären" [90/250: Els Aarne 250 Women Composers. Episode 90: Nobody Can Explain That]. VAN (in German). Retrieved 2 August 2025. (subscription required)
Work list with recordings from the Estonian Music Information Centre
Els Aarne discography at Discogs