Fractured (Memoria II) Decacorde Composed: 2024 Watch / listen Markku Klami: Fractured (Memoria II) Passing Shadows Mari Mäntylä, decacorde World premiere recording Alba Records (2025) Score / parts Music Finland Instrumentation and duration Decacorde Duration: 6 minutes Commission / dedications Commissioned by and dedicated to Mari Mäntylä First performance Mari Mäntylä, decacorde, Lentua hall, Kuhmo Arts Centre, Kuhmo, Finland, January 30, 2025 World premiere recording Passing Shadows - Mari Mäntylä, decacorde (Alba Records, Finland, 2025) Composer's Notes Fractured (Memoria II) is a reworked, or extended version of my Etude No. 2: Memoria (Remembrance) from Etudes for guitar cycle, written for Patrik Kleemola between 2020 and 2021. The idea for this extended version with new musical material, also making use of decacorde's extended bass register, was proposed to me by decacordist Mari Mäntylä in 2024. It didn't take me long to get interested in arranging my original Memoria etude for decacorde's 10 strings. I also shared Mari's feeling that the reworked version should throw in new, contrasting music to the original etude. While the original Memoria nods at the aesthtetic of Baroque music, its sound is now further enhanced with the new sonic possibilities offered by decacorde's bass strings. The new, contrasting material heard at the beginning of the piece and again between measures 42 and 64, is based on the series of arpeggios and rich use of harmonics, to be interpreted freely and with continuous rubato manner. < Back to Music

night signal Male choir Composed: 2009 Watch / listen Kuunteletko Sinä The Polytech Choir, cond. Juha Kuivanen World premiere recording The Polytech Choir (2013) Choral Album of the Year 2013 Award (Finnish Choral Conductors’ Association and Sulasol Society) Sheet music nkoda Music Finland Instrumentation and duration Male choir divided in four groups (TTBB TTBB TTBB TTBB) around the audience Duration: 3 minutes Text Phonetic text by the composer Commission / dedications Commissioned by the Polytech Choir First performance Polytech Choir, cond. Juha Kuivanen, The 5th International Leevi Madetoja Male Voice Choir Competition, Tapiola Church, Espoo, Finland, April 16, 2010 World premiere recording Kuunteletko sinä , The Polytech Choir, cond. Juha Kuivanen (2013). The album received the Vocal Album of the Year Award in 2014, given by the Society of Finnish Choir Conductors and Sulasol Society. Reflections Album review of Kuunteletko sinä, published on Helsingin Sanomat by Samuli Tiikkaja July 10, 2013 The former conductor of the Polytech Choir, Tapani Länsiö , sums up the essence of the album in his liner notes: this is a snapshot of Finland in the early 2000s. The choir has recorded music by contemporary composers, set to texts by contemporary poets. In much the same way, the core repertoire of male choir music from a hundred years ago was born from collaborations between national romantic composers and poets. Today, however, the challenges are different: instead of rich textures and soaring melodic lines, choirs must now master glissandi and speech-like rhythmic phrasing. The Polytech Choir is conducted on the album by Juha Kuivanen . Their interpretations are confident, and the variety of composers brings a welcome diversity to the recording. Maija Hynninen’s Mielen tasapainolajit (“Mental Balancing Acts”) gives a witty musical take on Janne Nummela’s poetry, while Markku Klami’s night signal dispenses with text entirely, gliding through overtone series shaped by pure vowel sounds. Album review of Kuunteletko sinä, published on Suomen Kuvalehti by Lauri Kilpiö August 30, 2013 Contemporary art music is famously marked by a diversity of styles, and this variety is clearly reflected on Kuunteletko sinä (“Do You Listen”). Olli Kortekangas’s freely tonal and naturally flowing Anna niskasi niellä kynteni jälki offers a poignant exploration of the relationship between father and son. Mikko Sidoroff’s gently resonant, nature-themed Talvi, tule vasta leans into the traditional virtues of choral music. In Kyklooppi , Riikka Talvitie treats Mikko Rimminen’s poetry with freedom and creativity, yet with respect for rhythm and intelligibility. The delightfully arched composition spans a range of expression from melodic modernism to the wild rhythms of a spoken-word chorus verging on rap. Tiina Myllärinen builds vivid sonic textures in the compact Kaikki kuuluu värinä , though Henriikka Tavi’s lengthy poem proves nearly impossible to follow in its entirety. Maija Hynninen cleverly combines two poems by Janne Nummela in her rich and imaginative Mielen tasapainolajit (“Mental Balancing Acts”). Markku Klami , by contrast, uses no text at all in his miniature night signal : in this concise and luminously captivating piece, shifting vowels take the place of words. The Polytech Choir, under the direction of Juha Kuivanen, performs each work with boldness, precision, and nuance—delivering interpretations that reflect the choir’s ever-rising artistic standard. < Back to Music

TampereRaw to premiere Markku Klami's Elegia at Tampere Biennale Festival Mar 29, 2022 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. 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. The texts sung in Elegia's three movements are poems written by Katja Klami . The subjects of the poems focus on human destinies, especially resignation and loss. The three poems, Minä kuvittelin sinulle elämän (I imagined life for you), Hiipuen (Fading) and Palava maa (Burning earth) , focus on unwanted infertility, the caregiver experiences of memory-impaired patients, and climate change and global conflicts. The titles of the poems are echoed in the titles of Elegia's three movements. The commissioner, Tampere Biennale Festival, proposed a wish that the texts in Elegia would focus on human destinies. During the composition work, Katja Klami's poems turned out to be not only timeless, but also very topical. Elegia was completed in late February 2022, just a day after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The short and captivating words of the last poem, Palava maa , reflect on the effects of human actions on the environment and nature as well as on other people. Teosto , the music copyright association in Finland, recently released a blog article by Markku Klami about the composition process of Elegia and how the poems by Katja Klami affected the process. Elegia is written for soprano, flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano and was commissioned by Tampere Biennale Festival. The commission was supported by the Sibelius Fund. < Back to News

Markku Klami makes his New York debut with ensemble mise-en Aug 18, 2020 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. The New York-based contemporary music group ensemble mise-en will arrange their annual MISE-EN MUSIC FESTIVAL at MISE-EN_PLACE in Brooklyn, New York from August 17 to August 20, 2020. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the festival will have its concerts streamed live on YouTube. Each year, the festival program is carefully selected through the group’s annual Call for Scores, targeted to composers of contemporary music around the world. For their festival year 2020, ensemble mise-en selected Markku Klami’s aura for alto flute and electronics, among works by Ted Moore , Alessandro Massobrio , Seán Ó Dálaigh , Epa Fassianos , Jee Seo , Bradley Green , Rodrigo Cadiz , Angeles Rojas and Nicola Fumo Frattegiani . Kelley Barnett , the flutist of the ensemble will perform Klami’s aura on Thursday, August 20 concert at 2.30pm Eastern Time (ET). The concert marks the US premiere of Klami’s aura. The live stream of the concert on YouTube can be found here . Rehearsing via Zoom video call with Kelley Barnett for the upcoming US premiere of aura. As it is stated on their website, ensemble mise-en is a New York-based contemporary music collective led by composer Moon Young Ha . Comprised of talented young musicians, our personnel strive to bring a repertoire of challenging new sounds to diverse audiences. We wish to impart an experience that is simultaneously multicultural and intellectually and aesthetically pleasing. As a collective, the multinational personnel has coalesced around a real aesthetic agenda, crystallized in the name “mise-en”: “mee,” in Korean, means “beauty,” and “zahn,” “to decorate,” and the group unabashedly promotes “beautiful” artwork to increasingly diverse audiences of contemporary sounds. The ensemble promotes large-scale, dynamic performances of contemporary music featuring the works of established and budding composers. Since its inception in 2011, ensemble mise-en has collaborated with such esteemed partners as Washington Square Contemporary Music Society, International Alliance for Women in Music, Austrian Cultural Forum New York, Open Meadows Foundation, New York University, New York Foundation for the Arts, I-Park, Goethe-Institute Boston, Villa Gillet (FR) and others. To date, the ensemble has presented a total of 281 pieces, including 114 works written for the group, and 86 US/NY premieres. The ensemble has performed at exciting venues such as (le) poisson rouge, Bohemian National Hall, Italian Academy, the DiMenna Center, Tenri Cultural Institute and the cell. YouTube links for the concerts: MISE-EN FESTIVAL 2020, Concert I , Tuesday, August 18, 2020 at 2.30pm ET MISE-EN FESTIVAL 2020, Concert II , Thursday, August 20, 2020 at 2.30pm ET < Back to News

Clair Clarinet, bandoneón and string quartet Composed: 2017 Watch / listen A snippet from the general rehearsal of Clair at Kaivos Festivaali 2017 Score / parts Music Finland Instrumentation and duration Clarinet, bandoneón and string quarter (with optional dancers) Duration: 17 minutes Commission / dedications Commissioned by Kaivos Festival with funding from Madetoja Foundation. Dedicated to Lauri Sallinen First performance Lauri Sallinen, clarinet and movement, Henrik Sandås, bandoneón, Nordlyd String Quartet (Aliisa Neige Barrière, violin, Alexandra Peral, violin, Ester Forsberg, viola, Andreas Øhrn, cello), Kaivos Festival, Kiisuteatteri, Outokumpu, Finland, September 9, 2017 Reflections Concert review, published on Turun Sanomat by Kalle Karjalainen November 21, 2024 Markku Klami’s Clair opened the concert with an extended sonic field, where the clarinet’s long, sustained tones created a lingering and mysterious atmosphere. At times reminiscent of Chico Hamilton’s jazz soundtracks, the piece commanded stillness and presence—inviting the listener inward amid the passing traffic and storm outside. Composer's Notes Clair is part of a series of works built on shared musical material. The first piece in the series, Clair sketches (2012), was written for Lauri Sallinen’s debut recital at the Sibelius Academy. Later, Lauri and the Kaivos Festival commissioned a new work for the same ensemble—clarinet, bandoneón, and string quartet—which I composed using leftover material from the original piece. The next installment in the series is Clair II , composed between 2020 and 2021. It was commissioned by the Seinäjoki City Orchestra and premiered in September 2021 with Lauri Sallinen as soloist. Although these pieces form a connected series, they clearly stand apart from one another as individual works. The musical relationships between them are often loose and subtle, revealing shared roots only in fleeting gestures or textures rather than in any overt thematic continuity. < Back to Music

verweilen released on streaming platforms Dec 18, 2020 verweilen, an ambient soundscape inspired by the coronavirus pandemic has just been released on various streaming platforms. verweilen, an ambient soundscape inspired by the coronavirus pandemic has just been released on various streaming platforms The coronavirus pandemic has hit the music life very hard around the world. In March 2020, just in a matter of days, musicians, ensembles, orchestras, choirs and conductors were forced to cancel their performances until further notice. In addition to performing musicians, the lockdowns around the world have affected other personnel in the field of performing arts. The pandemic has also affected composers in fundamental way. For almost a year now, it has been a very rare event for a composer to have the chance to hear their works performed in public. While live streams of performances have been arranged around the world, they tend to have a distancing element to them. The importance of social interaction between people, performers and their audience has proven to be vital. This notion of the human need for social interaction was also recognized by German-based composer Adrian Oswalt . He has launched a sound exhibition project Art has to be contagious , which emphasizes the importance of people being in connection with each other. He has invited composers and musicians around the world to participate in his project, by composing or improvising a new work based on a melody by him. In August 2020, he contacted me and asked if I would have the chance to take part in his project as well. I was immediately interested in this project, where Oswalt's original melody serves as a base for new works and interpretations coming from different places around the world. Even during the lockdown, the modern technology made it possible for different artists to make a connection via Oswalt's melody. With the ongoing threats and fears the coronavirus is causing, I came up with an idea to compose a somewhat dark and somber ambient soundscape, where my interpretation of Oswalt's original melody can be heard in the distant, eerie sounds of a piano. While the lingering soundscapes of verweilen represent the looming threats of the pandemic, I also hope my music gives solace to the listeners. Luckily enough, the first sound installation event of Art has to be contagious including a world premiere of verweilen was succesfully executed in late September 2020 at SWT-Kulturwerk in Tübingen, Germany, before the pandemic again took a quick turn to worse around the world. Now, as I write this in December 2020, the pandemic situation is still very difficult. As there are plans for further sound installation events of Art has to be contagious , the future with the pandemic is still uncertain. Now, with the release of verweilen on streaming platforms, I hope my music keeps establishing connections and perhaps finds new audiences during the difficult time we live in at the moment. Let's stay healthy and safe! < 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

Markku Klami's Elegia featured at ISCM World New Music Days in South Africa Nov 22, 2023 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 Markku Klami's song cycle Elegia , to the poems by Katja Klami , will be featured at the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) World New Music Days Festival in South Africa. Celebrating the 100th anniversary of World New Music Days Festival, the festival is organized by ISCM and NewMusicSA society, marking the first time the festival is taking place on African continent. Klami's Elegia was selected to the festival program through the annual official call for works organized by the ISCM. The work will be performed at Youngblood Gallery in Cape Town on December 1, 2023 by Stefanie Knorr , soprano, Roberto Casado , flute, Danielle Rossouw , clarinet, Nina Schumann , piano, David Bester , violin, Aristide du Plessis , cello, and conductor Chad Hendricks . Elegia was commissioned by Tampere Biennale Festival 2022 and received its first performance in the festival by soprano Tuiki Järvensivu and TampereRaw Ensemble . Tuiki Järvensivu has given following performances of Elegia with Tampering Ensemble and TampereRaw in Tampering Festival and Sibelius Music Days Festival in 2022. Soprano Tuiki Järvensivu performing Markku Klami's Elegia with TampereRaw Ensemble at Tampere Biennale Festival 2022 < Back to News

aava Guitar and electronics Composed: 2015 Score / parts Music Finland Instrumentation and duration Amplified guitar with live and fixed electronics (4 channels) Duration: 16 minutes Movements I. RAIN; fantasy II. in the distance: Cadenza III. Exposed Commission / dedications Commissioned by Timo Korhonen with funding from Teosto Commission Fund. Dedicated to Timo Korhonen First performance Timo Korhonen, guitar, Josue Moreno, Davis Ozolins and Markku Klami, electronics, Musica nova Helsinki Festival, Black Box hall, Helsinki Music Centre, Helsinki, Finland, February 9, 2015 Reflections Concert review, published on Helsingin Sanomat by Jukka Isopuro February 11, 2015 The electronic guitar concert, which filled the BLACK BOX, proceeded in the spirit of tentative experimentation. Timo Korhonen’s acoustic guitar was amplified, and the electronic component was either modified in real-time or pre-recorded. [--] Markku Klami’s subtle and expansive aava fortunately awakened more imaginative electric timbres. Composer's Notes I have already composed a number of works for the guitar, partly because, the guitar having once been my main instrument, I'm familiar with it and naturally I know lots of guitarists. aava expands the instrument's timbral potential by electronic means. It is dedicated to my former teacher, Timo Korhonen , who commissioned and now premieres it. I didn't become a guitarist, but then that wasn't my dearest wish – I had wanted to be a composer from a pretty early age. Timo has been one of the important people who has taught me to come to grips with the essential, and he has encouraged me along my own road forwards. I am extremely grateful to be able to collaborate with him over our communal passion, music. < Back to Music

sight – energy – vague – ocean Orchestra Composed: 2005 Watch / listen The Helsinki University Symphony Orchestra , cond. David Searle Live recording from Sigyn hall of Turku Conservatory of Music, April 21, 2007 Score / parts Music Finland Instrumentation and duration Orchestra: 3(pic).2.3(B.cl).2./4.3.3.1/timp., 2 perc./harp/Str. Duration: 14 minutes Accolades Shared First Prize in the national SävellYS 2006 Composing Competition, organized by the Helsinki University Symphony Orchestra for their 80th anniversary First performance Helsinki University Symphony Orchestra, cond. David Searle, Helsinki University Hall, Helsinki, Finland, April 19, 2007 Reflections Concert review, published on Turun Sanomat by Atte Tenkanen April 23, 2007 There is a sense of ethos in composer Markku Klami’s approach — a promising sign worth holding onto, even along the sometimes rugged path of a composer’s journey. His orchestral work sight – energy – vague – ocean (2005) is marked by broad, richly textured soundscapes that invite the listener to linger within them. What the piece lacks in kinetic motion, it compensates for in atmosphere. Stylistically, I found the composition somewhat dichotomous: its restrained melodicism and lush harmonies seemed carved from different wood. Nonetheless, the performance was delivered with intensity and left an encouraging impression. Composer's Notes sight – energy – vague – ocean is one of my works that was composed within a short period of time. When I began composing the work, I barely had nothing else than just few thoughts and sketches for the overall form of the work. This is why the work was in a state of constant change as the writing process progressed. However, the state of constant change and renewal is familiar to me as a composing environment anyway, as I am not drawn at all to the extremely rigorous and analytical way of working, no matter how much time I have at hand. As far as the overall form is concerned, I strive to follow the convoluted guideline of the images and visions brought into my mind by the title of the work. The title of the work was already ready when I started composing, which is quite unusual for my own works. Despite the ready title and the imagery it evokes, the work is by no means programmatic in the traditional sense, and thus does not tell any particular story. Nonetheless, narrative character is very important to me in the music and I hope that my music will ultimately tell more of itself through music than my attempt to describe it in words. During the rapid composition process, I allowed the work to grow organically, sprawl freely, taking it to where the work itself naturally seemed to go. Therefore, the end result is a variety of musical moments that change (grow) freely from one situation to another. One will hear static and extremely quiet sound surfaces as well as roaring bursts of energetic masses – and pretty much anything in between. < Back to Music

Göreme Guitar and electronics Composed: 2009 Watch / listen Patrik Kleemola , guitar and electronics Live recording from Brinkhall Summer Concerts, May 20, 2010 Score / parts Music Finland Instrumentation and duration Guitar (with optional amplification) and electronics (soundtrack, 2-channel stereo) Duration: 16 minutes Movements I. The Dark Hallway II. The Abyss III. The Mirror IV. Away Commission / dedications Dedicated to Patrik Kleemola First performance Patrik Kleemola, guitar, Markku Klami, electronics, Concert hall of Sibelius Academy, Helsinki, Finland, September 26, 2009 Composer's Notes Short work commentary Göreme was written for guitarist Patrik Kleemol a back in 2009. Having collaborated with him since the early 2000’s, we came up with an idea to combine the sound of a classical guitar with electronic soundscapes. While having a background in electronic music since my teenage years in 1990’s, I had for years concentrated in composing for acoustic instruments and ensembles. Bringing together these two sonic worlds felt intriguing so I was delighted to work on this project. Since its first performances given by Kleemola in Helsinki and Milan in September and October 2009, I have been delighted to witness Göreme being performed – in addition to several performances by Kleemola – by guitarist including Petrit Çeku and Kimmo Rahunen at various festivals and events around Europe, including Zagreb Music Biennale, REBUS Festival, Festival Muzyki Nowej and Turku Guitar Festival. During the composition process of Göreme I was strongly affected by the landscapes and history of Göreme region in Cappadocia, Turkey. The region might be first settled back in the Hittite era between 1800 and 1200 BC. The vast underground buildings carved in stone over the course of several centuries have served as an asylum for people of many cultural backgrounds, escaping from turmoil and oppression. The touching history of the region with its countless stories over the course of several thousands of years made a strong impact on me. Long work commentary Göreme was written for guitarist Patrik Kleemola back in 2009. Having collaborated with him since the early 2000’s, we came up with an idea to combine the sound of a classical guitar with electronic soundscapes. While having a background in electronic music since my teenage years in 1990’s, I had for years concentrated in composing for acoustic instruments and ensembles. Bringing together these two sonic worlds felt intriguing so I was delighted to work on this project. Since its first performances given by Kleemola in Helsinki and Milan in September and October 2009, I have been delighted to witness Göreme being performed – in addition to several performances by Kleemola – by guitarist including Petrit Çeku and Kimmo Rahunen at various festivals and events around Europe, including Zagreb Music Biennale, REBUS Festival, Festival Muzyki Nowej and Turku Guitar Festival. During the composition process of Göreme I was strongly affected by the landscapes and history of Göreme region in Cappadocia, Turkey. The region might be first settled back in the Hittite era between 1800 and 1200 BC. The vast underground buildings carved in stone over the course of several centuries have served as an asylum for people of many cultural backgrounds, escaping from turmoil and oppression. The touching history of the region with its countless stories over the course of several thousands of years made a strong impact on me. Why did this all resonate with me in such a fundamental way? How did a person from somewhat different cultural background and era feel so deeply connected to the turmoil and oppression witnessed in the Göreme region so long time ago? When I think of the history of humanity, one recurring feature throughout the times is, sadly, the ongoing presence of violence in our lives. At some stage in our lives, in a way or another we all encounter violence, be it physical, non-physical, structural or everyday violence. Violence is tightly woven together with power. Whatever the context, whenever power is in jeopardy, violence is bound to appear. Violence is a sign of weakness and fear. Looking back at the time I was composing Göreme , I was going through a rough time (or, to be honest, one of the rough phrases) in my life. On the surface, things probably seemed to be going quite well – I was finishing up my composition studies at Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and eventually graduated a year later, I had (and still have) good friends around me, and I had decent possibilities to concentrate on my strongest passion, composing music. However, I also had to struggle with my personal history that still had a hold on me. Having been a victim of violence in its many forms – physical, non-physical and structural – for the most of my life, I was struggling with devastating feelings of fear, shame, incompetence, lack of vision and insecurity, to name a few. The physical violence I have suffered from since my early childhood for well over a decade, has been life-threatening at its worst. It has recently come to my attention that it is very likely that the violence in question has even resulted in certain permanent injuries. The non-physical violence coming my way was aimed to break my self-esteem and personality. Having lived under this oppression and turmoil, I dare to say I had the ability at least to some extent to relate with the stories and history of Göreme region. Violence affects everyone’s lives in one way or another. We can’t escape it. Having experienced it in the hard way myself and still continuing to survive from it, I would like to say that even though violence can destroy lives, it is possible to get out. Whether you are a victim of violence, perpetrator of violent acts or merely a bystander, violence will always have some kind of part in your life. So, I would say it is of utmost importance to learn to live and love life itself despite the omnipresence of violence. It might be easy to close your eyes from it, especially in the case of structural violence found in pretty much any given society in this world. The tricky feature about violence is that in addition to the devastating and horrible effects it has on the lives of the victims, there’s always someone benefiting from it. This is very much the case, especially with the structural violence which appears to be predominantly invisible even in our modern societies. Since violence is in very close connection to power, many people usually on the higher levels of the society benefit from the ongoing oppression. It is vital in their quest for holding on to their power. The fear of losing the power and status you have in the society might make it very easy to close your eyes. Around the time I was composing Göreme , I was very lucky to have a couple of good friends and music in my life. Previously in my life during the hardest times lasting for several years, I had no one to trust, no one to speak to. As cliche as it might sound, I felt totally alone in the world. Luckily enough, even then I had the chance to escape into the world of music. It somehow kept me going and nowadays my life is what I have been wishing it to be. However, that violence I experienced is still very much with me in my life. The feelings of insecurity and incompetence, among others, have never gone away, although I slowly seem to get better at dealing with them. Those feelings don’t control or define me anymore. I’m still in the middle of a healing process and will continue to be for the rest of my life. I am very happy that the basis for my healing is better now than ever before. When asked ”how or why did you became a composer”, I have answered by telling how music has always been in my life and composing has been a calling for me since my early years. While this is totally true, never before I have had the courage to publicly tell about my history and how music has not only been the driving force in my life but also a way to survive through life. When I compose, these aforementioned and other fundamental questions about life, humanity, our existence and experiences of time and world around us come into my mind in a way or another. They always affect the music I deliver into this world. Composing is a vital part of my personal healing process. This is why Göreme holds a special place in my heart, as it was written during the time of turmoil in my life. It kept me going. The names of the four movements of Göreme , entitled The Dark Hallway , The Abyss, The Mirror and Away represent the thoughts and feelings I went through during the composition process. My aim for the dialogue of guitar and electronics was to represent the ever ongoing process between harmony and chaos in the world. From the rough and dark beginning, the music gradually ascends away from the turmoil, still reminding of its existence in the aggressive and loud outburst from the electronic part in the third movement The Mirror before slowly fading away in the last movement. < Back to Music

Markku Klami’s FUME selected to the finals in Kaleidoscope’s 2020 Call for Scores in Los Angeles Mar 8, 2021 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. 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. Klami wrote FUME for clarinetist Lauri Sallinen , who gave the premiere performance with Avanti! Chamber Orchestra conducted by Jani Telaranta at Ung Nordisk Musik Festival in Helsinki in 2010. Kaleidoscope’s annual call for scores has become one of their major programs, and most of the new music they have performed and most of the composers they have commissioned have been a part of this program. The primary goals of their call for scores are to build relationships with composers, to get to know new music that they would love to perform, and to amplify awareness of new music so more musicians and organizations will consider programming more new music. This is the second time Klami reaches the finals in Kaleidoscope's annual Call for Scores. Last year, his clarinet sextet Clair sketches was selected to the final round. More information on FUME can be found at my Orchestra music page. And if you like, be sure to listen to the first performance of the piece on SoundCloud . The performance was given by Lauri Sallinen, clarinet and Avanti! Chamber Orchestra conducted by Jani Telaranta at Ung Nordisk Music Festival in Helsinki. FUME was selected to the Jury's list of recommended works in the 2nd International Uuno Klami Composition Competition . < Back to News