Markku Klami wins the Finnish MPA Award

Markku Klami wins the Finnish Music Publishers Association Classical Composer of the Year Award for his Violin Concerto: A Requiem in the large-scale works category.

Violin Concerto: A Requiem was commissioned by violinist Maria Puusaari. Part of the Tampere Biennale Festival, the work was premiered by Puusaari on 17 April 2026 at Tampere Hall, Finland with Ruut Kiiski conducting the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra.

The jury describes Klami's Violin Concerto as follows: "The winning work in 2026 Classical Music Composer of the Year in the large-scale works category is a moving and universally human narrative rooted in a deeply personal experience. A carefully considered dramaturgy and emotional arc carry the expression from beginning to end. This is music made of sorrow – and how painfully beautiful it is: the longing in the solo violin can be heard so clearly. The work is a significant addition to the body of new Finnish violin concertos."

“The power of the concerto, drawing on experiences of involuntary childlessness, and the contemplative nature of the work come together in a whole that grows beyond its personal point of departure into a broader narrative of loss, hope, and humanity,” the jury states.

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Markku Klami wins the Finnish MPA Award (Wise Music Classical)

Violin Concerto: A Requiem (Edition WIlhelm Hansen / Wise Music Classical)

Winners of the Finnish MPA 2026 Awards (in Finnish) (Finnish Music Publishers Association)