About Mattias Sonnenberg
Mattias Sonnenberg (de Soucanton) is an awarded private and versatile author, theatre and ballet critic, artist, composer and singer. As an artist, he has created a distinctive artistic form known as LED-luminism, in which light and colour form an essential part of the artistic expression. As a singer, his voice has been described as remarkably similar to that of Johnny Cash, and a future album, The Priest – “Redemption” – Tribute to Johnny Cash, is anticipated.
As an author, Mattias Sonnenberg published the book Kannatamatud kakud in 2023. The work consists of 900 words and is structured as one of the world’s longest tautograms. An application for recognition by Guinness World Records has been submitted for the work.
Mattias Sonnenberg has been associated with various organisations and has worked as a company founder and director. He divides his life between Estonia and Atlanta. At present, he continues his activities in literature, theatre, ballet, visual art and music.
Family and Cultural Heritage
Mattias Sonnenberg is connected to Estonia’s theatrical and cultural history through several generations. His family (grandparents) circle includes prominent figures of Estonian cultural life such as Ülle Ulla, Ago-Endrik Kerge and Eri Klas. Within Estonian theatre and cultural circles, Mattias Sonnenberg is also known as a close descendant of Ülle Ulla and Eri Klas.
Mattias Sonnenberg is the custodian of Ülle Ulla’s cultural legacy:
www.ylleulla.ee
Through his immediate and extended family, he is connected to numerous areas of Estonian cultural and social life, including theatre and cultural figures, musicians, writers, artists, banking professionals and public officials. His family heritage is associated, among others, with such names as August Gailit and Jaan Tõnisson.
Family Coats of Arms and Baltic German Heritage
The family coats of arms presented on this website are connected with Mattias Sonnenberg’s paternal family lineage. His grandfather, Baron Evald Radik (de Soucanton), was a beloved and long-serving lighting artist at the Estonia Theatre and a descendant of a noble family.
Evald Radik was married to the daughter of Baron Leonhard Gustav von Budberg, a member of the noble family associated with the Tsooru knightly manor. The family held substantial estates and farms in Sellis, Tobras, Meose, Hormus and Kaspera.
The Baltic German branch of the Budberg-Bönninghausen family that lived and operated in Estonia originated from Westphalia. The roots of the Soucanton family, in turn, extend to ancient noble families of the Languedoc region of France.
An important figure in the family history is also Jakob Radik, the father of Evald Radik. On 4 December 1922, he began working as an accountant at the Bank of Estonia. He later became deputy head of the State Funds Department and continued working at the Bank of Estonia until its nationalisation on 10 October 1940.
Through his uncle, Jakob Radik was related to Estonian statesman Jaan Tõnisson. Jakob Radik was married to a Baroness of the de Soucanton family. The Soucanton family was also connected with the establishment of the former Nobility Bank (Aadlipank).
Mattias Sonnenberg’s work therefore brings together his personal artistic and literary activities, Estonia’s theatrical and cultural heritage, and his family’s multi-generational connection to Estonian cultural history.