Mari Mäntylä's album Passing Shadows featuring Markku Klami's Fractured (Memoria II) nominated for Emma Classical Award 2026

Mari Mäntylä’s album Passing Shadows (Alba Records, 2025) has been nominated for the Emma Classical Award 2026, one of the most prestigious annual recognitions in Finnish music. The Emma Awards, presented by Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland, honour outstanding artistic achievements in recorded music and play a central role in celebrating and supporting Finland’s diverse and vibrant music culture.

Passing Shadows features new music written especially for Mäntylä, highlighting her long-standing commitment to expanding the repertoire of the decacorde, the ten-string classical guitar that is her principal instrument. Among the works on the album is Fractured (Memoria II) by Markku Klami, composed for solo decacorde and commissioned by Mäntylä.

Markku Klami: Fractured (Memoria II), performed by Mari Mäntylä

Mari Mäntylä: Passing Shadows (Alba Records, 2025)

Mari Mäntylä is widely regarded as one of Finland’s leading guitarists. She has performed extensively as a soloist and chamber musician across Europe, Russia, the Middle East, and Asia, and has collaborated with numerous Finnish and international composers. Through premieres of new works—particularly for the decacorde—she has played a significant role in increasing the instrument’s visibility and artistic potential.

Her repertoire spans music from different historical periods, often characterised by intimacy, subtlety, and a sense of timelessness, while also embracing stylistic versatility. In addition to contemporary classical music, Mäntylä has worked with folk musicians and performed as a guitarist with the ensemble Tirioni, specialising in Portuguese fado. Her long-running chamber collaborations include Duo Dryades with bandoneónist Kristina Kuusisto, whose recordings have received wide critical acclaim, including a previous Emma nomination.

Mäntylä’s solo and chamber music recordings have consistently been praised by the press in Finland and internationally, and her work has been featured on radio and television in several countries. She is a lecturer in guitar and chamber music at the Kuhmo Music Institute and continues to be a central figure in the Finnish contemporary music scene.

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Mari Mäntylä's website

Emma Awards website