Our second edition of Composers in the Spotlight features three up-and-coming composers born in the late 1980s and early 1990s. To learn more about them and to buy sheet music of their works please visit our Composers & Repertoire site.

Cecilia Damström

Cecilia Damström is a productive composer whose list of works include chamber music, choral works, orchestral works as well as two chamber operas. With a background as a classical pianist and with theatre as an interest, harmony, direction, expressivity and a sense of drama are present in her music. As themes, Damström has dealt with environmental and social issues in several of her works.

Cecilia Damström’s year 2020 started successfully with a US premiere of her orchestral piece Tundo!, performed by Colorado Springs Philharmonic. If the coronavirus pandemic hadn’t occurred, the ongoing spring would have been busy for Damström with performances in the USA, Australia, Germany, Estonia and Finland.

Joel Järventausta

Despite his young age, London-based Finnish composer Joel Järventausta’s music has already been performed in various venues and festivals in UK, Finland, France, Norway, Sweden, Spain, Bulgaria, Canada and USA. At the moment he is writing a new ten-minute commission for the London Symphony Orchestra to be premiered in 2020/21.

Joel Järventausta's music is often influenced by nature, books, paintings, art and poems. Despite the external influences, Järventausta explains: “Carefully crafted sound worlds and textures are always a priority. To be able to share this joy of creation and musical curiosity with audiences, listeners and performers is a privilege, and ultimately what propels me to keep writing more music.”

Roope Mäenpää

Roope Mäenpää is a composer who, in addition to composing classical music, has also worked as a composer in numerous theatre productions and video pieces. He is also working actively as a musician. An essential perspective in Mäenpää’s output is his close connection to string instruments based on his background as a cellist and bassist. 

In January 2020, Mäenpää had a premiere of his work written for the Lapland Chamber Orchestra, and in February his Symphonic tale Hipinäaasi apinahiisi for orchestra and narrator was premiered by its commissioner, Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra. Even though COVID-19 led to some cancellations, the current state also brought Mäenpää at least one new commission: Mäenpää just released a new work for violin and clarinet, written for Ensemble TampereRaw for its virtual concert series.