 He is best known for his analytical publications on early twentieth-century music, especially that of Debussy and the Estonian symphonist, Eduard Tubin, though his unpublished Ph.D. dissertation remains a respected work among Froberger researchers.As a composer, Sõmer participated in Karlheinz Stockhausen's composition studio at the Darmstädter Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik in 1967, contributing the oboe part to "Ensemble" .