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September premieres with Lauri Sallinen & Seinäjoki City Orchestra and Patrik Kleemola Sep 10, 2021 Lauri Sallinen premieres Markku Klami's Clair for clarinet and large ensemble with the Seinäjoki City Orchestra on September 16, 2021. Patrik Kleemola releases weekly premieres of Klami's Etudes for guitar on his YouTube channel on Mondays from September 27 until November 29, 2021. Rondo Classic interviewed Klami for their September 2021 issue of the magazine. Lauri Sallinen premieres Markku Klami's Clair for clarinet and large ensemble with the Seinäjoki City Orchestra on September 16, 2021. Patrik Kleemola releases weekly premieres of Klami's Etudes for guitar on his YouTube channel on Mondays from September 27 until November 29, 2021. Rondo Classic interviewed Klami for their September 2021 issue of the magazine. Originally planned for January 2021, the premiere of Klami's Clair for clarinet and large ensemble was postponed to September due to the pandemic situation. Lauri Sallinen will perform the clarinet solo and lead the musicians of the Seinäjoki City Orchestra in the premiere on September 16, 2021 in Seinäjoki, Finland. Etudes for guitar, a project long in the making is finally getting its YouTube premiere, where Patrik Kleemola will release video recordings of each 10 etudes coupled with discussion videos with Markku Klami. In the discussion videos, Kleemola and Klami talk about the pedagogical and musical aspects of each etude. This makes it possible for the audience to get a glimpse of the collaboration between the musician and composer, something that usually is not very visible to a broader audience. The premiere series of Etudes will run on Kleemola's YouTube channel every Monday beginning on September 27 and closing on November 29, 2021. The videos continue to be accessible on Kleemola's YouTube channel after the premiere period. Journalist Kimmo Korhonen interviewed Klami about the two works in question and their premieres and about his thoughts on composing in general. The interview, in Finnish, was published on the September 2021 issue of Rondo Classic magazine, the biggest monthly magazine in Finland with a focus on classical and contemporary music scene. The interview is accessible here: https://rondolehti.fi/rondo-lehti/kantaesitys/klamin-uutuudet-klarinetille-ja-kitaralle/ < Back to News

Patrik Kleemola gives the YouTube premiere of Klami's Etudes for guitar Sep 24, 2021 A 10-week release event of Markku Klami's Etudes for guitar (2021) begins on Monday, September 27, 2021 and will run until Monday, November 29, 2021 on Patrik Kleemola's YouTube channel. A 10-week release event of Markku Klami's Etudes for guitar (2021) begins on Monday, September 27, 2021 and will run until Monday, November 29, 2021 on Patrik Kleemola's YouTube channel. An introduction video to the Etudes project with Patrik Kleemola and Markku Klami, released on YouTube on September 20, 2021. Welcome to follow the YouTube premiere of Markku Klami’s Etudes for guitar on Mondays at 7pm (UTC+03), beginning on September 27 and continuing until November 29, 2021 on guitarist Patrik Kleemola’s YouTube channel . On Monday, September 20, 2021 Klami and Kleemola released an introduction video to the Etudes project. Each Monday from September 27 until November 29, 2021, a new video performance of the 10 etudes will be released on YouTube, coupled with a discussion video with Kleemola and Klami, where they talk about the pedagogical and musical aspect of the pieces. This also gives a glimpse into the cooperation between the musician and the composer – which may usually remain obscure to a wider audience. Patrik Kleemola performs Etudes series on his YouTube Channel Etudes for guitar continues Klami’s long collaboration with Kleemola. The initial idea for a set of new etudes for guitar came up in a conversation Klami had with Kleemola back in 2017. In addition to Kleemola’s career as a guitarist and Klami’s career as a composer of contemporary music, they both have a long working experience as educators. Kleemola gives tuition in guitar playing at the Turku Conservatory of Music and Turku Music Institute, and Klami gives tuition in composition and music theory at the Helsinki Conservatory of Music, the Espoo Music Institute and the East Helsinki Music Institute. Kleemola’s and Klami’s mutual point of view was that contemporary music doesn’t play a substantial part in the repertoire of students in music institutes. In fact, the vast and rich oeuvre of today’s composers is something that students only come across during their academic studies in music. As Kleemola and Klami see it, the situation is more or less the same around the world. Their wish was to address this issue and contribute to the availability of contemporary music in the repertoires of students, also younger students. Although Etudes is pedagogically designed to target different playing techniques—both traditional and unconventional—Klami’s aim was just as much to compose pieces that would be suitable for concert use by students and professional guitarists alike. The result is a collection of ten etudes covering a wealth of moods, styles and sonic possibilities of a solo guitar. The technical difficulty level increases gradually as one progress through the etudes. The first etudes are suitable for younger and more experienced students alike, whereas the last etudes are primarily targeted at professional guitarists and students pursuing their professional degree in music. Sheet music for Klami’s Etudes is available from Edition Wilhelm Hansen (part of Wise Music Classical). Patrik Kleemola’s website: www.patrikkleemola.com < Back to News

Mari Mäntylä's album Passing Shadows featuring Markku Klami's Fractured (Memoria II) nominated for Emma Classical Award 2026 Dec 18, 2025 Mari Mäntylä’s album Passing Shadows (Alba Records, 2025) has been nominated for the Emma Classical Award 2026—part of the Emma Awards, Finland’s most prestigious annual honours celebrating artistic achievement in recorded music. The album features newly commissioned works, including Markku Klami’s Fractured (Memoria II). 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. Read more Mari Mäntylä's website Emma Awards website < Back to News