Composers

    Pekka Jalkanen's (b. 1945) Viron orja (The Serf of Viro) for two violins and string orchestra (1980) is one of the earliest and best-known examples of Finnish minimalism. The work...

    Jennah Vainio's (b. 1972) Nerve-Wreck Blues Overture (2010, rev, 2023) is a fast-paced and engaging blues overture written for string orchestra. It respects the traditions of the blues while sparingly...

    Kalevi Aho's Second String Quartet dates from February 1970, when he was in his second year as a student of Einojuhani Rautavaara at the Sibelius Academy. Its premiere in the...

    Esa Pietilä's Blazing Flames for tenor saxophone and string quartet (2018) is a 28-minute-long journey with rapids and backwaters. His interest of combining improvisation and composed music makes the quintet...

    Three icons in three colours is an association of colours and the state of mind and feeling how a person experiences colours individually. The composer does not want to open...

    Erkki-Sven Tüür (b. 1959) dedicated his String quartet (1985) dedicated to the memory of his friend, the Estonian actor Urmas Kibuspuu (1953-1985). The impressive two-movement string quarte displays minimalist influences...

    Veli-Matti Puumala, who will be 60 on 18 July [2025], here answers questions about his composing process, work as a teacher of the new composer generation and the guiding stars...