lo Vinter was born in Tallinn. He graduated from the Tallinn Music School in music theory in 1951 and from the Tallinn Conservatoire in composition as a student of Villem Kapp in 1956. From 1956 to 1969, he worked as music editor for Eesti Radio, and from 1969 to 1986, as music editor for Eesti Telefilm.

lo Vinter was, above all, a composer of musical stage performances. A Song of the Nordic Land from the musical Pippi Longstocking is very well known and is part of the most beloved repertoire of song celebrations. The Vacationers, another well-known musical by Vinter, was the basis for the TV film Here We Are!, which made the song Little House by the Sea famous.