Saariaho anniversary on 14 October
Composer Kaija Saariaho turns 60 years on 14 October. The occasion has already been acknowledged around the world with concerts and residences. In October the festivities will reach Helsinki and Finland as well.
Taking place are, for example, celebratory concerts with Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra on 12 October and with Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra on 19 October, a research symposium on 13 October, and a mini festival with vocal, chamber and orchestral music on 14 October. The concert on 14 October will also include the Finnish first performance of Saariaho's Emilie Suite as well as new works composed by Saariaho's colleagues Paavo Heininen and Jukka Tiensuu.
A new release by record company Ondine will present chamber music trios by Saariaho (ODE 1189-2). All of the works are for different instrumentations, and it features esteemed Saariaho specialists like soprano Pia Freund and cellist Anssi Karttunen.
In the next months, Saariaho's works will be performed in several countries in Europe and North America. A new work Frises was premiered at Borusan in Istanbul, Turkey on 2 October. The clarinet concerto D'om le vrai sens will be played by clarinettist Kari Kriikku in Lithuania on 20 October, in Mexico on 23 November, and in the US on 15 December. An US premiere is on programme also for Circle Map, with a performance in Boston on 2 November.