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  • Göreme Echoes released on Spotify and other streaming platforms | Markku Klami | Composer

    Göreme Echoes released on Spotify and other streaming platforms Dec 18, 2018 Markku Klami's Göreme Echoes released on streaming platforms Göreme Echoes released on Spotify and other streaming platforms While the majority of my music is written for acoustic ensembles since I like to work with musicians and singers, I have a long history in the field of electronic music as well. During my teenage years I spent a lot of time experimenting with synthesizers and different computer softwares and I remember being very enthusiastic and drawn into the field of electronic soundscapes. During my academic studies in music composition my concentration was solely on writing for acoustic instruments and human voice, although I did a couple of electronic soundtracks to the short movies of one fellow student at the time. It was not until 2009 when I first combined the acoustic instruments with electronics. That year I wrote aura , a 7-minute piece for alto flute and live electronics for flutist Hanna Kinnunen and Göreme , a 17-minute piece for guitar and fixed soundtrack for guitarist Patrik Kleemola . Looking back, I think it was around that time that I felt mature enough to bring together the acoustic and electronic soundscapes – the craft of writing for acoustic instruments that I had been polishing for years during my studies, mixed with the intuitive approach to music making I had during my teenage years experimenting with electronic gear. Combining acoustic and electronic sounds has been a growing point of interest for me ever since. In 2015 I completed aava , another 16-minute piece for guitar and live & fixed electronics commissioned by and written to guitarist Timo Korhonen . At the moment I have a couple of works on my sketch table that combine the acoustic and electronic sounds. In 2010, I was asked to do an installation piece for the publication event of a project I was involved in. The result was an electronic soundscape titled Göreme Echoes . It is a mixture of some new materials combined with reworking of materials for Göreme for guitar and fixed soundtrack. Like with Göreme , during the composition process of Göreme Echoes I was strongly affected of the landscapes and history of Göreme region in Cappadocia, Turkey. Over the course of several thousand years, the vast underground buildings in Göreme have served as an asylum for people of many cultural backgrounds escaping from turmoil. This leads me to think of the concept of truth in a cultural context. Every culture, society and individual have their own truths, and in this respect it could be argued that every culture, society and individual own their own truths. The collisions between these truths keep serving as a springboard to quarrels, political turmoils, oppressions and even wars. Keeping this in mind, my aim was to create soundscapes representing the ever ongoing process between harmony and chaos, fueled by the truths in our global society. < Back to News

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

    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

  • Patrik Kleemola gives the YouTube premiere of Klami's Etudes for guitar | Markku Klami | Composer

    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

  • September premieres with Lauri Sallinen & Seinäjoki City Orchestra and Patrik Kleemola | Markku Klami | Composer

    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

  • Contact | Markku Klami

    Looking to perform or Markku Klami’s music? Find publisher details, information on perusal materials, and a direct contact form for commissions, collaborations, or press inquiries. Scores & parts Composer Contact Scores & parts Edition Wilhelm Hansen (Wise Music Classical) E-mail: ewh@ewh.dk Tel: +45 3311 7888 Fax: +45 3314 8178 Bornholmsgade 1A 1266 Copenhagen K Denmark Markku Klami at Wise Music Classical Music Finland Unpublished scores and parts are available for purchase & rent through Music Finland Inquiries by e-mail: musiclibrary@musicfinland.fi nkoda Selection of scores and parts are available on nkoda Markku Klami All other inquiries may be directed to the composer. Please use the form below. First name* Last name* Email* Write a message* Send

  • Calendar | Markku Klami | Composer

    Explore a calendar of performances, premieres, and events featuring Markku Klami's music. Calendar All Concert Country premiere Lecture Screening Radio Releases Installations Streaming World premiere 76 days to the event Apr 17, 2026, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM Tampere Philharmonic / Tampere Biennale / Tampere-talo, Yliopistonkatu 55, 33100 Tampere, Finland Keep me notified Apr 17, 2026, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM Tampere-talo, Yliopistonkatu 55, 33100 Tampere, Finland Markku Klami: Violin Concerto: A Requiem World premiere Maria Puusaari, violin Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra Ruut Kiiski, conductor Tampere Biennale Share 113 days to the event May 24, 2026, 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM Audite Chamber Choir / Album release concert / Olaus Petri Church, Minervankatu 6, 00100 Helsinki, Finland Keep me notified May 24, 2026, 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM Olaus Petri Church, Minervankatu 6, 00100 Helsinki, Finland Album release concert Markku Klami: into the deep peace Audite Chamber Choir Tatu Erkkilä, conductor Share Jan 29, 2026, 1:15 PM – 2:45 PM Sibelius Academy: Music of Our Time lecture series / Helsinki Music Centre, Auditorium, Mannerheimintie 13 A, 00100 Helsinki, Finland Learn more Jan 29, 2026, 1:15 PM – 2:45 PM Helsinki Music Centre, Auditorium, Mannerheimintie 13 A, 00100 Helsinki, Finland Music of Our Time lecture series, The Sibelius Academy of the University of Arts, Helsinki Composer Markku Klami tells about his recent years’ works that have acted as a road towards his most own musical expression and more liberated composing. Share Sep 13, 2025, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM Musiche dall’Europa per la Terra sottostante / Magliano, Via Trappeto, 36, 73041 Magliano LE, Italy Learn more Sep 13, 2025, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM Magliano, Via Trappeto, 36, 73041 Magliano LE, Italy Markku Klami: Göreme Echoes Country premiere (Italy) Musiche dall’Europa per la Terra sottostante Share Aug 16, 2025, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM Tampering Festival / Satamakadun Sali, Satamakatu 17, 33200 Tampere, Finland Learn more Aug 16, 2025, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM Satamakadun Sali, Satamakatu 17, 33200 Tampere, Finland Markku Klami: Ambience I: Burning Maija Anttila, clarinet Tampering Festival 2025 Share Jun 06, 2025, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM Album release / Fractured (Memoria II) / Worldwide release on streaming platforms Learn more Jun 06, 2025, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM Worldwide release on streaming platforms Release of Mari Mäntylä's album Passing Shadows, featuring the world premiere recording of Markku Klami's Fractured (Memoria II) for decacorde Share Jan 30, 2025, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM Mari Mäntylä / Solo recital / Kuhmo Arts Centre, Koulukatu 1, 88900 Kuhmo, Finland Learn more Jan 30, 2025, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM Kuhmo Arts Centre, Koulukatu 1, 88900 Kuhmo, Finland Markku Klami: Fractured (Memoria II) World premiere Mari Mäntylä, decacorde Share Nov 21, 2024, 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM WhatEverWorks! Festival / Sibelius Museum, Piispankatu 17, 20500 Turku, Finland Learn more Nov 21, 2024, 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM Sibelius Museum, Piispankatu 17, 20500 Turku, Finland Markku Klami: aura defunensemble Hanna Kinnunen, alto flute Timo Kurkikangas & Anders Pohjola, live electronics WhatEverWorks! Festival Share Nov 20, 2024, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM WhatEverWorks! Festival / Manilla Culture Factory, Itäinen Rantakatu 64b, 20810 Turku, Finland Learn more Nov 20, 2024, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM Manilla Culture Factory, Itäinen Rantakatu 64b, 20810 Turku, Finland Markku Klami: Clair WhatEverWorks! Festival Share Jul 29, 2024, 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM Meidän Festivaali / Ainola, Ainolankatu, 04400 Järvenpää, Finland Learn more Jul 29, 2024, 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM Ainola, Ainolankatu, 04400 Järvenpää, Finland Markku Klami: Ambience I: Burning Lauri Sallinen, clarinet Meidän Festivaali Share Jul 29, 2024, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM Meidän Festivaali / Ainola, Ainolankatu, 04400 Järvenpää, Finland Learn more Jul 29, 2024, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM Ainola, Ainolankatu, 04400 Järvenpää, Finland Markku Klami: Ambience I: Burning World premiere Lauri Sallinen, clarinet Meidän Festivaali Share Dec 01, 2023, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM ISCM World New Music Days / Youngblood Africa, 70, 72 Bree St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa Learn more Dec 01, 2023, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM Youngblood Africa, 70, 72 Bree St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa Markku Klami: Elegia Country premiere (South Africa) Stefanie Knorr, soprano Roberto Casado, flute Danielle Rossouw, clarinet Nina Schumann, piano David Bester, violin Aristide du Plessis, cello Chad Hendricks, conductor ISCM World New Music Days Festival 2023, Cape Town, South Africa Share Apr 06, 2023, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Kuoromusiikin kausikonsertit / Ritarihuone / House of Nobility, Ritarikatu 1, 00170 Helsinki, Finland Learn more Apr 06, 2023, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Ritarihuone / House of Nobility, Ritarikatu 1, 00170 Helsinki, Finland Markku Klami: into the deep peace Audite Chamber Choir Jani Sivén, conductor Kuoromusiikin kausikonsertit Share Mar 25, 2023, 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM Forum of Contemporary Music Festival / Oberstdorf House, Breitachklamm hall, Oberstdorf Haus, Prinzenstraße 4A, 87561 Oberstdorf, Germany Learn more Mar 25, 2023, 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM Oberstdorf House, Breitachklamm hall, Oberstdorf Haus, Prinzenstraße 4A, 87561 Oberstdorf, Germany Markku Klami: Etudes Country premiere (Germany) Patrik Kleemola, guitar Forum of Contemporary Music Festival Share Mar 11, 2023, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Audite Chamber Choir / 30th anniversary tour / Tanssin talo, Kaapeliaukio 3, 00180 Helsinki, Finland Learn more Mar 11, 2023, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Tanssin talo, Kaapeliaukio 3, 00180 Helsinki, Finland Markku Klami: into the deep peace Audite Chamber Choir Jani Sivén, conductor Share Mar 10, 2023, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Audite Chamber Choir / 30th anniversary tour / Tanssin talo, Kaapeliaukio 3, 00180 Helsinki, Finland Learn more Mar 10, 2023, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Tanssin talo, Kaapeliaukio 3, 00180 Helsinki, Finland Markku Klami: into the deep peace Audite Chamber Choir Jani Sivén, conductor Share Feb 21, 2023, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Patrik Kleemola / Rauhasta Roihuun tour / Kaamos gallery, Kuusamo House, Kaarlo Hännisentie 2, 93600 Kuusamo, Finland Learn more Feb 21, 2023, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Kaamos gallery, Kuusamo House, Kaarlo Hännisentie 2, 93600 Kuusamo, Finland Markku Klami: Etudes Patrik Kleemola, guitar Share Feb 19, 2023, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Patrik Kleemola / Rauhasta Roihuun tour / Korkalovaara Chappel, Vaaranlammentie 3, 96500 Rovaniemi, Finland Learn more Feb 19, 2023, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Korkalovaara Chappel, Vaaranlammentie 3, 96500 Rovaniemi, Finland Markku Klami: Etudes Patrik Kleemola, guitar Share Feb 17, 2023, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Patrik Kleemola / Rauhasta Roihuun tour / Helsinki Conservatory of Music, Ruoholahdentori 6, 00180 Helsinki, Finland Learn more Feb 17, 2023, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Helsinki Conservatory of Music, Ruoholahdentori 6, 00180 Helsinki, Finland Markku Klami: Etudes Patrik Kleemola, guitar Share Feb 11, 2023, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Audite Chamber Choir / 30th anniversary tour / Taulumäki Church, Lohikoskentie 2, 40200 Jyväskylä, Finland Learn more Feb 11, 2023, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Taulumäki Church, Lohikoskentie 2, 40200 Jyväskylä, Finland Markku Klami: into the deep peace Audite Chamber Choir Jani Sivén, conductor Share Load More

  • Flow | Markku Klami | Composer

    Flow String orchestra Composed: 2004 Watch / listen Sigyn Sinfonietta , cond. Markku Klami Live recording from Sigyn hall of Turku Conservatory of Music, March 5, 2005 Score / parts Music Finland Instrumentation and duration String orchestra (minimum: 8.6.5.4.2) Duration: 12 minutes Accolades Winner of the National Composing Competition of the Finnish Polytechnic Chamber Orchestra First performance Finnish Polytechnic Chamber Orchestra, cond. Atso Almila, Tampere Hall, Tampere, Finland, November 21, 2004 Reflections Concert review, published on Turun Sanomat by Tomi Norha March 7, 2005 The concert concluded with Flow by Markku Klami (b. 1979), which won first prize in the Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences composition competition last year. It’s hard to believe this is his first orchestral work — Klami clearly has a great deal of musical substance to share, and most importantly, the ability to shape that material into a coherent and natural form. Flow was full of edge, rhythmic and dramatic pull, and multidimensional textures. The major second motif and tremolos introduced at the beginning ensured cohesion, forming the foundation for a piece that lived up to its name, flowing seamlessly from one moment to the next. There wasn’t a dull moment, and the transitions were skillfully crafted. The harmony was tangy enough to be interesting, yet triads were not excluded. If anything could be further developed, it might be the rhythmic palette — adding even more variety and nuance. Still, by the time the opening motifs returned at the end, the journey felt fully convincing. < Back

  • afore | Markku Klami | Composer

    afore Piano Composed: 2015 Score / parts Music Finland Instrumentation and duration Piano Duration: 8 minutes Commission / dedications Dedicated to Tuomas Niininen First performance Tuomas Niininen, piano, Concert hall of the Lodz Academy of Music, Lodz, Poland, November 23, 2015 < Back

  • ...and there's always music in the air." | Markku Klami | Composer

    ...and there's always music in the air." Flute and string quartet Composed: 2011 Score / parts Music Finland Instrumentation and duration Flute and string quartet Duration: 15 minutes Movements I. Shadow of a twisted arm across my house II. Garden in the city of industry III. I see myself Commission / dedications Hommage to David Lynch First performance Johanna Kärkkäinen, flute, Into String Quartet: Linda Suolahti, violin, Sirja Puurtinen, violin, Mari Viluksela, viola, Jarkko Launonen, cello, Ajassa 2011! Festival, Kapsäkki Music Theatre, Helsinki, Finland, March 15, 2011 Composer's Notes March 15, 2011 The immaculately polished façades and the simmering tensions and traumas beneath—sometimes culminating in harrowingly perverse events and devastating human fates triggered by the collapse of those façades—seem to lie at the very core of David Lynch’s (1946-2025) surreal and dreamlike cinematic storytelling. They are the fuel that keeps his creative flame alive. Onto this stage, where the theatre of self-centered—thus deeply human—artificiality and superficial well-being inevitably collides with merciless truth, Lynch casts game pieces in the form of characters that are often absurd and highly stylized. Yet these characters, with painful precision, illuminate the deepest traits of the human condition. Crippled by their own weaknesses, or sometimes crushed by faceless structural violence, they reflect a bleak picture of the society we live in even today. In Lynch’s stark visions, the horror of recognizing—or denying—truth can, at its worst, completely shatter the mind, leaving one lost in the shadows, as happens to Fred in Lost Highway (1996). Often, physical death becomes the only release from pain and hopeless dead ends. “In heaven, everything is fine,” sings a woman in Lynch’s first feature-length film Eraserhead (1976). Similarly, in Mulholland Drive (2001), Diane, overwhelmed by a bleak past and unbearable guilt over a horrifying deed, chooses irreversible detachment from her suffering and burdens. What remains is only eternal peace and silence— silencio . Having followed Lynch’s films, television projects, paintings, photography, writings, and other endeavors since the 1990s, I’ve long been drawn to the idea of exploring the intense thoughts and emotions these works have stirred in me through musical means—not by interpreting, explaining, or deconstructing them, but by creating a kind of “musical state of being,” a personal sonic response or echo to the images and feelings they’ve evoked in me. I recall already considering such a project in the autumn of 2003, so the idea has been gestating for a long time. The process has started and stalled many times, and the instrumentation has changed repeatedly along the way. Other, more clearly defined projects have often taken priority, and my thoughts on this work have remained in constant flux. Yet the idea always returned to me, resurfacing from time to time. A fitting opportunity to finally realize the piece arose when I was invited to contribute a work to this evening’s concert. The instrumentation changed once more, but the combination of flute and string quartet felt like a natural fit for the ideas that had been with me for so many years. This piece is dedicated, with my deepest respect, to the great visionary, thinker, and humanist David Lynch. < Back

  • Tulevaisuuden retki | Markku Klami | Composer

    Tulevaisuuden retki Children's opera: 2 soloists, reciter, ensemble Composed: 2010 Score / parts Music Finland Instrumentation and duration Children's opera: soprano, tenor, reciter, ensemble: clarinet, horn, percussion, piano, violin, cello Duration: 1 hour Libretto Libretto by Emma Puikkonen Acts / scenes One act: Introduction and eight scenes. Scene 7 includes two alternative versions, with the audience choosing during the performance which one will be performed. Commission / dedications Commissioned by ArtSoppa Society and Turku 2011 European Capital of Culture First performance Kirsti Tuominen, soprano, Timo Turunen, tenor, chamber ensemble, cond. Pasi Helin, Linna Theatre, Turku Music Festival & European Capital of Culture 2011, Turku, Finland, August 6, 2011 Reflections Concert review, published on Turun Sanomat by Katariina Norontaus February 2, 2011 A Children’s Opera That Doesn’t Underestimate Its Audience An unusual world premiere took place on Tuesday morning at Pääskyvuori School. The children’s opera Tulevaisuuden retki ("Journey to the Future"), part of the European Capital of Culture programme, tells the story of Jaspriina Akuliina Harvahammas Möttönen, who is given a mission by the President: to travel into the future and bring back something exciting, something to brighten up everyday life—and a pickle jar opener. Produced by the Turku 3011 Children’s Opera team and ArtSoppa Society, the opera aims to introduce children to the world of modern opera both as audience members and creators. Workshops related to the opera were held last semester in twelve elementary schools. “We specifically wanted to include schools without any special emphasis or focus areas, and that are located outside the city centre,” says producer Krista Leivo . Six classes participated in composition workshops, while three classes contributed to the set design and libretto. The latter groups’ creative input is strongly reflected in the final production. A Libretto with Child's Logic An hour of modern atonal music might sound like a tough listen—even for most adults. But composer Markku Klami , who composed Tulevaisuuden retki , has found through teaching and workshops that children tend to approach music with more openness than adults. “That’s why I didn’t try to write music that sounded like children’s songs—I approached it from a completely different angle.” Director Tapio Väntsi is also pleased with how the children received the hour-long performance. “There was some fidgeting in the front row—that’s where the youngest kids were sitting. One teacher even said there haven’t been many performances that students have watched so still and focused.” Emma Puikkonen , who wrote the libretto based on texts by the children, noticed that the same things that made them laugh in class also worked in the audience. < Back

  • FUME | Markku Klami | Composer

    FUME Clarinet and orchestra Composed: 2008 Watch / listen Lauri Sallinen , clarinet, Avanti! Chamber Orchestra , cond. Jani Telaranta Live performance from Ung Nordisk Musik Festival, September 24, 2010 Score / parts Music Finland Instrumentation and duration Clarinet and orchestra: 2(A.fl.).2(E.hn).2(B.cl).2/2.2.0.0./perc./Str. (minimum: 6.6.5.4.2., preferred: 8.6.6.4.3.) Duration: 23 minutes Movements I. ...bursting into... II. ...a serenade... III. ...to one out of reach, Commission / dedications Dedicated to Lauri Sallinen Accolades Selected to the Jury's list of recommended works in the 2nd International Uuno Klami Composition Competition 2009 First performance Lauri Sallinen, clarinet, Avanti! Orchestra, cond. Jani Telaranta, Ung Nordisk Musik: COLLISION! Festival, Concert hall of the Sibelius Academy, Helsinki, Finland, September 24, 2010 Reflections Concert review, published on Hufvudstadsbladet by Mats Liljeroos September 26, 2010 Markku Klami’s FUME for Clarinet and Chamber Orchestra stood out as a case of its own. The Turku-born composer (b. 1979) clearly possesses more than enough talent, and the piece was crafted with considerable professional skill. A name worth remembering. The same applies to clarinetist Lauri Sallinen , who handled the demanding solo part with effortless technique and a refined tone. Avanti! performed with the attentiveness and the kind of sonic brilliance one has come to associate with the ensemble in this type of repertoire. Composer's Notes FUME was my first concerto work and I wrote it especially for Lauri Sallinen . This marvellous musician (and also a very nice person) was of much help during the writing process of the work. I'm forever grateful for all his comments on my ideas and writings during the composing process. FUME was selected to the Jury's list of recommended works in the tremendously successful 2nd International Uuno Klami Composition Competition in 2009. The premiere was given by Lauri Sallinen and Avanti! Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Jani Telaranta at Ung Nordisk Musik Festival in 2010. FUME is dedicated to Lauri Sallinen. < Back

  • into the deep peace | Markku Klami | Composer

    into the deep peace Mixed choir Composed: 2021 Watch / listen Voices of Earth Podcast Podcast produced by Mimmu Kyrönseppä, hosted by Julia Korkman The second episode of the series explores Markku Klami’s work into the deep peace . Julia Korkman hosts the discussion, joined by composer Finn Shields . A short excerpt from Klami’s piece is featured mid-episode, recorded live at the Voices of Earth concert by Audite Chamver Choir in Taulumäki Church, Jyväskylä, on February 11, 2023. Score / parts Music Finland Instrumentation and duration Mixed choir Duration: 14 minutes Movements / sections I. The heat II. The night wind III. The daybreak Text John Muir (selections from My First Summer in the Sierra, adapted by the composer) Commission / dedications Commissioned by Audite Chamber Choir with funding from Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation First performance Audite Chamber Choir, cond. Jani Sivén, 30th Anniversary tour of Audite Chamber Choir, light design by Ainu Palmu, Old Academy Building, Turku, Finland, November 12, 2022 Reflections Concert review, published on Kuoromusiikin Kausikonsertit by Tove Djupsjöbacka April 11, 2023 into the deep peace took off as if from thin, quivering air and the landscape was calmly built both horizontally and vertically – I saw both mountains and the horizon and mighty trees in front of me. The upper notes conjured up the night sky and the beautiful, stable fifths created the impression of peace. Composer's Notes into the deep peace is based on selections of texts from John Muir's 1869 travel memoir My First Summer in the Sierra , published in 1911. into the deep peace was commissioned by Audite Chamber Choir for their 30th anniversary, and is dedicated to them and their conductor, Jani Sivén. The commissioner's wish was that the music would focus on a nature-related theme. This was a pleasant starting point for me, as nature in particular has for long played an ever-increasing role as a source of ideas for me. Almost immediately I decided to set the music to texts inspired by the diverse nature of the State of California. It didn't take me long to think of writings by John Muir. While reading his travel memoir My First Summer in the Sierra, a series of fond memories of my honeymoon trip to California and Nevada in October 2018 came to my mind. In the midst of ever-increasing rush and disruptions of the way of life in the Western culture, my wife and I managed to completely detach ourselves from the exhausting everyday life and enjoy each other's company in the vivid pulse of the big cities and intoxicating peace of the nature. The vastness and endlessness of the Pacific Ocean, the wilderness of the sun-burned deserts, the canyon scenery and the mountains of the Sierra Nevada impressed me forever. My perhaps clichéd experience of feeling very small affected me strongly in the Giant forest of the Sequoia National Park, near to the southern end of Sierra Nevada mountain range in California. This rather small area of around 1880 acres is the home to five of the world's ten largest trees. The famous inhabitants of the forest, the Giant sequoias, are among the oldest surviving trees on earth. While wandering around the Giant forest and standing at the foot of these trees, which reach up to the heights of a 14-story building, time disappeared. I felt as if these old giants were peacefully watching us in their sanctuary almost two kilometers above the sea level. The experience was tremendous, and absolutely sacred. These giants have survived many ordeals during their lives spanning over 3000 years, and they may well continue to live for another 1000 years, if we people allow them to do so. into the deep peace is my humble tribute to the nature, its endless diversity and beauty – a terrestrial eternity, as John Muir so aptly writes in his travel memoir. The title of the work is derived from a sentence in Muir's travel memoir, dated July 11, 1869: ”Sauntered up the meadow about sundown, out of sight of camp and sheep and all human mark, into the deep peace of the solemn old woods, everything glowing with Heaven’s unquenchable enthusiasm.” < Back

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