Stay up to date with news about Markku Klami’s music—premieres, recordings, collaborations, awards, and other highlights from his career. News Jun 15, 2026 Markku Klami nominated for Finnish Music Publishers Composer of the Year award Klami's Violin Concerto: A Requiem is nominated in Composer of the Year category for large-scale works Read more May 20, 2026 Markku Klami's into the deep peace released on Audite chamber choir's album Voices of Earth Audite Chamber Choir’s new album Voices of Earth features six environmentally themed works, all commissioned for the choir’s 30th anniversary season. Read more Dec 18, 2025 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—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). Read more Nov 14, 2025 Maria Puusaari and Tampere Philharmonic to premiere Markku Klami's Violin Concerto Markku Klami’s Violin Concerto: A Requiem receives its world premiere at the Tampere Biennale, performed by Maria Puusaari and the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra under Ruut Kiiski’s baton Read more Jun 10, 2025 Markku Klami's Fractured (Memoria II) released on Mari Mäntylä’s album Passing Shadows Featuring contemporary works for decacorde, the album is out now on Alba Records and includes new music by Tõnu Kõrvits, Markku Klami, René Eespere, Charlotte Bray, Juan Antonio Muro, Mari Sainio, Pekka Jalkanen — and Mari Mäntylä herself. Read more Mar 31, 2025 FMQ publishes Markku Klami's column on the significance of arts and culture for humanity In this deeply personal column, Markku Klami reflects on how music became his survival strategy, why composing remains his greatest calling, and how culture can give us a reason to live. Read more Jan 29, 2025 World premiere of Markku Klami's Fractured (Memoria II) given by decacordist Mari Mäntylä Mari Mäntylä, the leading Finnish decacordist, will give the world premiere performance of Markku Klami's recent work, Fractured (Memoria II), at Kuhmo Arts Centre's Lentua hall in Kuhmo on January 30, 2025. Read more Jul 22, 2024 Lauri Sallinen premieres Markku Klami's Ambience I: Burning at Meidän Festivaali Lauri Sallinen, one of the most in demand Finnish clarinetists, will give the world premiere performance of Markku Klami's recent work, Ambience I: Burning, at Meidän Festivaali in Järvenpää on July 29, 2024. Read more Nov 23, 2023 Markku Klami's Elegia featured at ISCM World New Music Days in South Africa Markku Klami's song cycle Elegia, to the poems by Katja Klami, will be featured at the International Society for Contemporary Music World New Music Days Festival in South Africa Read more Feb 6, 2023 Audite tours with Markku Klami’s into the deep peace In the spring of 2023, Audite chamber choir tours with their 30th anniversary tour Voices of Earth, featuring Markku Klami’s into the deep peace (2021), set to the texts by John Muir. Read more Jan 23, 2023 Patrik Kleemola tours with Markku Klami's Etudes in Finland and Germany Patrik Kleemola gives the concert world premiere of Markku Klami's entire Etudes cycle at the opening concert of Sibelius Academy's International Guitar Pedagogy Conference on February 3, 2023 at the Organo hall of the Helsinki Music Centre. Read more Aug 11, 2022 Announcing 2022-2023 season highlights Markku Klami's vocal and instrumental music will be heard on several occasions during the 2022-2023 season. Read more Jun 4, 2022 Markku Klami's Elegia nominated to the 68th International Rostrum of Composers The Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yle) recently nominated Markku Klami's Elegia to the poems by Katja Klami to this year’s International Rostrum of Composers, organized by the International Music Council. Read more Mar 29, 2022 TampereRaw to premiere Markku Klami's Elegia at Tampere Biennale Festival A new work for soprano and Pierrot ensemble, titled Elegia (Elegy) by Markku Klami will be premiered by soprano Tuiki Järvensivu and TampereRaw, a Tampere-based ensemble of contemporary music, at Tampere Biennale Festival on April 7, 2022. Read more Nov 26, 2021 Edition Wilhelm Hansen publishes Markku Klami's Etudes for guitar The biggest music publisher in Scandinavia, Edition Wilhelm Hansen, has published Markku Klami's Etudes for guitar. Read more Sep 24, 2021 Patrik Kleemola gives the YouTube premiere of Klami's Etudes for guitar 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. Read more Sep 10, 2021 September premieres with Lauri Sallinen & Seinäjoki City Orchestra and Patrik Kleemola 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. Read more Mar 8, 2021 Markku Klami’s FUME selected to the finals in Kaleidoscope’s 2020 Call for Scores in Los Angeles Los Angeles based orchestra Kaleidoscope received almost 8000 applications from composers in 86 countries in their 2020 Call for Scores. 189 works by 172 composers were selected to the final round, including Markku Klami’s clarinet concerto FUME. Read more Dec 18, 2020 verweilen released on streaming platforms verweilen, an ambient soundscape inspired by the coronavirus pandemic has just been released on various streaming platforms. Read more Nov 3, 2020 Patrik Kleemola to premiere Markku Klami's Etudes for guitar Four etudes, titled ”Memoria”, ”Agitato nervosamente”, ”Nocturno” and ”Stream” from Markku Klami’s upcoming Etudes for guitar collection will get their world premiere by Finnish guitarist Patrik Kleemola in his recital on November 11, 2020 at the Sibelius museum in Turku, Finland. Read more Aug 18, 2020 Markku Klami makes his New York debut with ensemble mise-en The New York-based ensemble mise-en will arrange their annual MISE-EN MUSIC FESTIVAL in Brooklyn, New York on August 17-20, 2020. The festival program features Markku Klami's "aura" for alto flute and electronics. Read more Jul 14, 2020 Thoughts on truth – Göreme Echoes featured at FBC's The Finnish Music of Our Time series Markku Klami's Göreme Echoes featured in Aikamme suomalaista musiikkia (The Finnish Music of Our Time) on Finnish Broadcasting Company Read more Oct 23, 2019 Clair sketches selected as a finalist in Kaleidoscope's 2019 Call for Scores in Los Angeles Markku Klami's Clair sketches for clarinet, bandoneón and string quartet has been selected as one of the finalists in Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra's 2019 Call for Scores. Kaleidoscope received over 2200 entries from composers from 90 countries around the world in their recent Call for scores for their upcoming 6th concert season in 2019-2020. Read more Feb 25, 2019 Victory over violence – Why I became a composer and the story behind composing Göreme Markku Klami's Göreme released on streaming platforms Read more Dec 18, 2018 Göreme Echoes released on Spotify and other streaming platforms Markku Klami's Göreme Echoes released on streaming platforms Read more Oct 12, 2018 Cooperation with clarinetist Lucy Abrams Lucy Abrams performs Markku Klami's TWIRL in Lithuania and Finland Read more Sep 29, 2018 World premiere of Karui at Uuden Musiikin Lokakuu Festival Markku Klami's Karui premiered at Uuden Musiikin Lokakuu Festival in Oulu Read more Mar 6, 2018 The first ever large-scale puppet opera in the Nordic countries premieres on March 9, 2018 The puppet opera "Croak – Or The Unexpected Joys And Perils of Singing" will premiere at Pori Opera on March 9, 2018 Read more

Dive into the world of composer Markku Klami with an in-depth biography, musical insights, and career highlights. Biography Artistic focus Timeline Biography Markku Klami is a Finnish composer whose music has been described as delicate, elegant, fragile, and powerful—evoking strong emotional responses. Klami draws inspiration for his compositions from nature and urban environments alike, aiming to offer listeners a moment of peace amid an increasingly fast-paced world. Through his works, Klami seeks to highlight the mysteries of human existence—its questions, fates, and fragile journeys—while giving voice to the profound presence of nature. His music pays tribute to the majesty of the natural world, a force before which humanity appears small and fleeting. Klami's music has been performed across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa at festivals such as ISCM World New Music Days, International Rostrum of Composers, MISE-EN MUSIC, Nordic Music Days, Musica nova Helsinki, Turku Music Festival, Tampere Biennale, Atlantic Music Festival, Zagreb Music Biennale, and Taiwan International Guitar Festival. Born in Turku in 1979, Klami’s musical path began in childhood through piano and violin studies and a decade-long membership in Chorus Cathedralis Iuniorum, the boys’ choir of Turku Cathedral. These formative years, along with early explorations in electronic music, laid the groundwork for a diverse output that includes solo, chamber, and orchestral works—often blending acoustic instruments with electronics—as well as vocal music and two operas. A classically trained composer, Klami studied at the Turku Music Academy and the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki with Tuomo Teirilä and Tapio Tuomela, respectively. In recent years, he has also returned to his roots in electronic music through ambient releases alongside his concert music. Since 2021, a selection of Klami’s works have been published by Edition Wilhelm Hansen (Wise Music Classical Group). His work has been supported by the the Finnish Arts and Culture Agency, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Arts Promotion Centre Finland, the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, the Sibelius Fund, the Madetoja Foundation, the Teosto Cultural Foundation, and the Teosto Commission Fund. Klami lives and thinks of music in Helsinki, drawing creative energy from both urban environments and the nature—particularly the seashores, forests, and open landscapes that offer him a vital balance in today’s fast-paced world. Artistic focus See the Timeline for more Suomeksi Markku Klamin musiikkia on luonnehdittu herkäksi, elegantiksi, intensiiviseksi ja vahvoja tunne-elämyksiä herättäväksi. Klami ammentaa inspiraatiota teoksiinsa usein luonnosta ja toisaalta myös urbaaneista ympäristöistä, pyrkien tarjoamaan kuulijalle hetken hengähdystauon alati ylikierroksilla käyvästä maailmastamme. Teostensa kautta Klami pyrkii myös nostamaan esiin ihmiselämän suuria kysymyksiä sekä antamaan äänen luonnon ikuiselle läsnäololle. Hän kunnioittaa luonnon suuruutta, jonka rinnalla ihmiselämä näyttäytyy pienenä ja katoavaisena. Klamin musiikkia on esitetty eri puolilla Eurooppaa, Pohjois- ja Etelä-Amerikkaa, Aasiaa ja Afrikkaa festivaaleilla kuten ISCM World New Music Days, International Rostrum of Composers, MISE-EN MUSIC, Nordic Music Days, Musica nova Helsinki, Turun Musiikkijuhlat, Tampere Biennale, Atlantic Music Festival, Zagreb Music Biennale ja Taiwan International Guitar Festival. Turussa vuonna 1979 syntyneen Klamin musiikillinen polku alkoi jo varhain pianon- ja viulunsoiton opinnoilla sekä kymmenvuotisella taipaleella Turun tuomiokirkon poikakuorossa Chorus Cathedralis Iuniorumissa. Näiden vuosien aikana syntynyt kiinnostus sekä akustiseen että elektroniseen musiikkiin on sittemmin johtanut monipuoliseen tuotantoon, johon kuuluu soolo-, kamari- ja orkesteriteoksia, usein akustisia soittimia ja elektroniikkaa yhdisteleviä sävellyksiä, vokaalimusiikkia sekä kaksi oopperaa. Klami opiskeli sävellystä Turun ammattikorkeakoulun Musiikkiakatemiassa Tuomo Teirilän ja Sibelius-Akatemiassa Tapio Tuomelan johdolla. Viime vuosina hän on palannut konserttimusiikin säveltämisen ohella myös juurilleen elektronisen musiikin pariin. Klamin teoksia on vuodesta 2021 alkaen julkaissut Edition Wilhelm Hansen (Wise Music Classical Group). Hänen työtään säveltäjänä ovat tukeneet muun muassa Taide- ja kulttuurivirasto, Suomen Kulttuurirahasto, Taiteen Edistämiskeskus, Jenny ja Antti Wihurin rahasto, Sibelius-rahasto, Madetoja-säätiö, Teoston kulttuurisäätiö sekä Teoston sävellystilaustoimikunta. Nykyisin Helsingissä asuva Klami inspiroituu sekä urbaaneista ympäristöistä että luonnosta – erityisesti merenrannoista, metsistä ja avarista maisemista, jotka tarjoavat hänelle tärkeän vastapainon nykypäivän keskeytyksiä ja häiriöitä täynnä olevassa arkielämässämme. Artistic focus Concert music Markku Klami’s concert works span a wide range of forces—from intimate solo pieces and chamber music to orchestral works, concertos, vocal music, and even opera. While each composition is shaped by its unique context, Klami’s artistic voice is unified by a search for calm, timelessness, and sensitivity of sound. His music often dwells in delicate textures and quiet spaces, inviting the listener into a world that is both reflective and emotionally resonant. At times, he expands his sonic palette through the use of electronics, subtly blending acoustic and electronic elements into cohesive soundscapes. Discover Klami's concert music Electronic music In his electronic music, Markku Klami explores the ambient genre through immersive, slowly evolving soundscapes. These works offer a space for stillness and contemplation—sonic environments that unfold gradually, inviting the listener to settle into their depths. Whether experienced on their own or in dialogue with acoustic instruments, Klami’s electronic pieces reflect his ongoing interest in nuance, atmosphere, and the quiet power of sound. They are not so much narratives as they are places—audio landscapes in which time seems to stretch, soften, and dissolve. Timeline Highlights 1970s February 21, 1979. Born in Turku, Finland. 1980s Markku Klami’s interest in music sparked at an early age during the 1980s, a decade that marked the very beginning of his artistic path. In the mid and late 1980s, Klami began taking private piano lessons, followed by violin studies. These early instrumental lessons provided him with his first experiences in musicianship and laid the foundation for his later explorations in composition. A major milestone came in August 1988, when he joined Chorus Cathedralis Iuniorum , the boys’ choir of Turku Cathedral. He would sing with the choir for a full decade, until 1998. These years in the choir would prove to be formative, not only musically but personally, as they exposed him to a wide repertoire, performance discipline, and the communal aspect of music-making—elements that would later shape his identity as a composer. Show more 1990s Klami’s musical journey began in early childhood and deepened significantly throughout the 1990s, a formative decade that laid the groundwork for his later work as a composer. In the early 1990s, Klami continued his violin studies under Kai Vilevaara , developing a strong classical foundation. He also gained early performance experience as a member of Chorus Cathedralis Iuniorum, with international tours to Sweden (1990) and England (1992). By the mid-1990s, Klami’s musical interests began to expand. He started experimenting with music-making on computers and, in 1995, took up guitar studies with Pasi Nieminen —an instrument that soon became his primary focus. That same year, he wrote his first publicly performed compositions and toured in Germany with Chorus Cathedralis Iuniorum. Show more 2000s During the 2000s, Klami transitioned from electronic music performance to a focused pursuit of his own compositional voice. He began his academic journey with studies in musicology at the University of Turku and later deepened his musical expertise at the Turku University of Applied Sciences, where he majored in music theory and composition with Tuomo Teirilä , and studied classical guitar with Timo Korhonen and Ismo Eskelinen . He also began teaching music theory at the Turku Conservatory of Music in 2001, marking the beginning of a long-standing parallel career in music education. Klami’s compositional career gained momentum with the 2002 premiere of Colours in Blue by guitarist Patrik Kleemola , sparking a long and fruitful collaboration with Kleemola that resulted in multiple guitar works performed internationally, both by Kleemola and other guitarists. His orchestral debut Flow won the Finnish Polytechnic Orchestra's national composition competition in 2004, leading to several performances with the orchestra and conductor Atso Almila on their concert tour in Finland and Slovakia. Throughout the decade, Klami developed a strong presence in Finnish contemporary music festivals. His works were featured at Musica nova Helsinki, Avanti! Summer Sounds, Time of Music Festival, and Turku Music Festival. His music began to draw international attention, with performances in Iceland, Italy, Estonia, Sweden, Poland, and Slovakia. Klami's first work for symphony orchestra, sight – energy – vague – ocean , won the Helsinki University Orchestra's national composition competition in 2006 and was premiered by the orchestra and their conductor David Searle in Helsinki and Turku in April 2007. Show more 2010s The 2010s marked a period of broad international recognition and artistic diversification for Klami. His music was performed across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, while his creative range expanded to include vocal works, electroacoustic pieces, and opera. Klami began the decade with a series of high-profile premieres, including night signal for male choir, commissioned by the Polytech Choir, and FUME , a clarinet concerto premiered by Lauri Sallinen and Avanti! at the Ung Nordisk Music Festival. He completed his Master of Music in Composition at the Sibelius Academy in 2010, and shortly thereafter, his children’s opera Tulevaisuuden retki was premiered at the Turku Music Festival as part of the official European Capital of Culture 2011 program—one of several commissions tied to this significant cultural year. Throughout the decade, Klami’s music featured prominently at international festivals such as Musica nova Helsinki, Nordic Music Days in Copenhagen, Zagreb Music Biennale, Taiwan International Guitar Festival, Atlantic Music Festival (USA), and Uuden Musiikin Lokakuu in Oulu. Notable premieres included red moon (Uusinta Ensemble, Suså Festival 2011), REPEAT (European Capital of Culture 2011, Nordic Music Days 2015), karu ( Timo Korhonen , Shin-ichi Fukuda , and Thomas Müller-Pering , Taiwan International Guitar Festival 2014), and aava (Timo Korhonen, Musica nova Helsinki 2015). Show more 2020s Klami’s work in the 2020s has been marked by growing international recognition, high-profile festival appearances, and a steady stream of commissions and premieres. His music has reached new audiences across Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia, while continuing to engage Finnish listeners through performances, recordings, and broadcast media. In July 2020, Göreme Echoes was featured on Yle Radio 1’s (Finnish Broadcasting Company) Finnish Music of Our Times series, followed in August by Klami’s New York debut at the MISE-EN_MUSIC FESTIVAL with aura , performed by Kelley Barnett and the mise-en ensemble. The following month, he premiered the sound installation verweilen in Tübingen, Germany, which was released digitally in December. November 2020 saw the premiere of the first four movements of Etudes , performed by Patrik Kleemola at the Sibelius Museum in Turku. Klami’s FUME was a finalist in the Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra’s 2021 international call for scores in Los Angeles—selected from over 8000 submissions from 86 countries. That September, two significant premieres followed: Clair II , performed by Lauri Sallinen and the Seinäjoki City Orchestra, and the completed Etudes , released through a 10-week event on Patrik Kleemola’s highly acclaimed YouTube channel. In September, Etudes was published by Edition Wilhelm Hansen (Wise Music Classical Group), marking the beginning of an ongoing collaboration. Show more

L Orchestra Composed: 2008 Score / parts Music Finland Instrumentation and duration Chamber orchestra: 1.1.1.1/2.1.1.0/0.2/0/Str. (4.4.4.2.1) Duration: 3 minutes Commission / dedications For Magnus Lindberg on his 50th birthday First performance Avanti! Chamber Orchestra, cond. Dmitri Slobodeniouk, XXIII Avanti! Summer Sounds Festival, Art Factory, Porvoo, June 27, 2008 < Back to Music