Markku Klami's Fractured (Memoria II) released on Mari Mäntylä’s album Passing Shadows Jun 10, 2025 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. The new album Passing Shadows , released by Alba Records on June 6, 2025, features Finnish decacordist Mari Mäntylä performing a compelling selection of contemporary works for decacorde, the ten-string guitar. Mäntylä, one of Finland’s most prominent performers on the instrument, is known for her broad-ranging concert activity in Finland and internationally, as well as her commitment to recording both classical repertoire and new music. The album includes Markku Klami's Fractured (Memoria II) , commissioned by and dedicated to Mäntylä. This introspective and texturally layered work explores themes of fragmentation and memory through the extended possibilities of the decacorde. Alongside Klami, the album features works by Tõnu Kõrvits, René Eespere, Charlotte Bray, Juan Antonio Muro, Mari Sainio, Pekka Jalkanen , and Mari Mäntylä herself, who contributes one of the album’s original works. Passing Shadows offers listeners a richly varied and deeply expressive journey into the contemporary sound world of the decacorde. The album is available for purchase through Alba Records’ website and can be streamed on all major digital platforms. < Back to News

Announcing 2022-2023 season highlights Aug 11, 2022 Markku Klami's vocal and instrumental music will be heard on several occasions during the 2022-2023 season. Markku Klami's vocal and instrumental music will be heard on several occasions during the 2022-2023 season. The season highlights include performances of Elegia (2022), set to the poems by Katja Klami , at Tampering Festival in Tampere on August 20, 2022 and Sibelius Music Festival in Loviisa on September 4, 2022. Soprano Tuiki Järvensivu will sing in both performances with Tampering Ensemble and TampereRaw Ensemble , respectively. Tampering Ensemble photographed by Cecilia Damström Elegia is centered around big, fundamental questions about life: the thoughts and feelings aroused by involuntary childlessness, the experiences and emotions engendered in the sole caregiver by the decline of a dear one ravaged by senile decay, and the inexorable advance of climate change and global conflicts. TampereRaw photographed by Jaakko Jaskari Elegia was commissioned by Tampere Biennale and received its first performance, given by Tuiki Järvensivu and TampereRaw, at Tampere Biennale in April 2022. The Finnish Broadcasting Company nominated Elegia to The International Rostrum of Composers in 2022, organized by The International Music Council . The commission of Elegia was supported by the Sibelius Fund. Patrik Kleemola photographed by Vesa Aaltonen Guitarist Patrik Kleemola will perform a selection of Etudes (2021), a work commissioned by and dedicated to him, at the Turku Guitar Festival on October 28, 2022 and WEW Contemporary Music Festival on November 22, 2022. During February and March 2023, Kleemola tours with the entire Etudes cycle in Finland and gives the German premieres of Etudes Nos. 6, 4, 9 and 10 at the forum of contemporary music festival in Oberstdorf, Germany. The concerts in Finland feature the entire Etudes cycle, with the concert world premiere at the opening concert of Sibelius Academy's International Guitar Pedagogy Conference at Organo hall of the Helsinki Music Centre on February 3, 2023. After the premiere, Kleemola performs the Etudes on Feb 8 at The Church of Holy Cross in Rauma, Feb 10 at the Pyynikki hall of the Tampere Conservatory of Music, Feb 17 at the Concert hall of the Helsinki Conservatory of Music, Feb 19 at the Korkalovaara Chappel in Rovaniemi and Feb 21 at the Kaamos Gallery of the Kuusamo House in Kuusamo. The 10-movement cycle of Etudes was published by Edition Wilhelm Hansen in 2021 and released on Kleemola’s YouTube channel over a period of 10 weeks from September to November 2021. The videos contain a performance of each Etude, accompanied by a conversation with Kleemola and Klami. The commission of Etudes was supported by The Arts Promotion Centre Finland and The Finnish Cultural Foundation. Audite Chamber Choir photographed by Aura Nukari Klami’s recent work for mixed choir, into the deep peace (2021), set to the texts by John Muir , will get its world premiere and five subsequent performances on Audite Chamber Choir’s 30th anniversary tour, conducted by Jani Sivén . The tour starts in Turku on November 12, 2022, followed by five more concerts in Tampere (February 10, 2023), Jyväskylä (February 11, 2023) and Helsinki (March 10 & 11 and April 6, 2023). The Finnish Broadcasting Company will record and air the concerts in Helsinki on March 10 and 11, 2023. The commission of into the deep peace was supported by The Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation. Audite Chamber Choir’s anniversary tour portrays six new choral works written for Audite by composers Alex Freeman , Anna Huuskonen , Markku Klami, Finn Shields , Jani Sivén and Matthew Whittall . Each work is inspired, in different ways, by nature and the human relationship with nature and its effects on nature. The concert tour, featuring light design by Ainu Palmu , takes the audience on a journey to the Sierra Mountains in California, to the depths of the oceans and reflects on human activity in relation to nature and our responsibility towards the earth, our surrounding environment and future generations. < 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

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

FMQ publishes Markku Klami's column on the significance of arts and culture for humanity Mar 31, 2025 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. On my music and beyond: Composing as a means of survival 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. “Art fosters hope, opens up new perspectives and brings us together”, writes Klami. Read the whole column on Finnish Music Quarterly's (FMQ) website. FMQ started as a printed magazine (the Finnish Music Quarterly) in 1985, addressing all aspects of the Finnish music scene. Since 2005, it has also been serving its readers online. Today, FMQ publishes new items – articles, columns and reviews – on its website on a regular basis. A special issue addressing a specific topic through several articles is released four times a year. The articles in FMQ are written by experts on music both Finnish and foreign. In the course of its history, FMQ has also produced special issues in German, French, Swedish and Japanese. Since 2023, FMQ has appeared exclusively in a digital format. From 2017 to 2022, a printed edition featuring a compendium of the year's online articles was released annually in December. FMQ is published by Music Finland . Its partners are the Sibelius Academy , the Society of Finnish Composers and the Finnish Musicians’ Union . The publication is also supported by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, as well as by Kopiosto copying remunerations (from the share of the Society of Finnish Composers). Additionally, publication in 2025 is supported by the Alfred Kordelin Foundation. < Back to News

Cooperation with clarinetist Lucy Abrams Oct 12, 2018 Lucy Abrams performs Markku Klami's TWIRL in Lithuania and Finland Last spring I was delighted to receive an e-mail from clarinetist Lucy Abrams about her plans for her upcoming postgraduate recital at Sibelius Academy of University of Arts in Helsinki. As a part of her recital program she will perform my solo clarinet piece TWIRL alongside other clarinet pieces by Finnish and American composers. Last June Lucy interviewed me for her artistic research and we ended up discussing a variety of subjects on music and also the piece in question, TWIRL. We rehearsed the piece in August, after which Lucy performed TWIRL as a part of her lecture recital at Doctors in Performance Conference at Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, in Vilnius, Lithuania in September. During October and November Lucy will again perform TWIRL, first in Kerava and then in her first postgraduate recital at Helsinki Music Centre in November. For a composer, working with musicians is a vital part of our profession – I would even argue it’s one of the cornerstones of our existence. I’m delighted to have my music performed by stellar musicians such as Lucy. Looking forward to the upcoming performances! If you are around Helsinki on November 13, feel free to attend her concert! Be sure to check these links as well: Our interview from June 2018 Lucy’s lecture at Doctors in Performance Conference < Back to News

Markku Klami's into the deep peace released on Audite chamber choir's album Voices of Earth May 20, 2026 Audite Chamber Choir’s new album Voices of Earth features six environmentally themed works, all commissioned for the choir’s 30th anniversary season. Released on 24 May 2026 by Alba Records , Voices of Earth is the new album by Audite Chamber Choir, conducted by choir's former artistic director Jani Sivén . The album features six environmentally themed works commissioned for the choir’s 30th anniversary season, exploring the relationship between humanity and nature from a wide range of perspectives. The recording is available both as a CD and on major streaming platforms. A particularly distinctive aspect of the album is that the featured composers are all singers within the choir itself: Alex Freeman, Anna Huuskonen, Markku Klami, Finn Shields , and Matthew Whittall . The album also includes a work by the choir’s former artistic director, Jani Sivén. Klami's contribution to the album, into the deep peace , is written for mixed choir and draws its inspiration from the ancient trees of California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. The work is based on selections from John Muir’s travel memoir My First Summer in the Sierra and was commissioned by Audite Chamber Choir for its 30th anniversary. The piece was inspired in part by Klami's memories of his honeymoon trip with his wife to California and Nevada in 2018, particularly a visit to the Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park. Encountering the giant sequoias — among the oldest and largest living trees on Earth — left a profound impression on Klami. For him, standing among these ancient giants, some over 3,000 years old, created an overwhelming sense of timelessness, humility and peace. The title into the deep peace is derived from a passage in Muir’s diary dated 11 July 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…” The work is dedicated to Audite Chamber Choir and Jani Sivén. Recording, editing, mastering and producing: Marion Schwebel Album cover photo: Jan Viljanen / Just Visual Album cover design: Pauliina Ilonoja < Back to News

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

Audite tours with Markku Klami’s into the deep peace Feb 6, 2023 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. 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 . Commissioned by and dedicated to Audite and their conductor Jani Sivén , into the deep peace received its world premiere on Audite’s Voices of Earth tour on November 12, 2022 in Turku. The following performances will be given on February 10, 2023 in Tampere, February 11 in Jyväskylä, March 10 & 11 and April 6, 2023 in Helsinki. The concert in Helsinki on March 10, 2023 will be recorded and broadcasted by the Finnish Broadcasting Company. Klami’s work deals with trees and forests and the eternal landscapes they create. The text of the work is adapted by the composer from John Muir's travel memoir My First Summer in the Sierra, published in 1911. The text describes the Sierra mountain range in California, where the ancient temples of giant trees exude a peace and timelessness that is hard to find in our fast-paced everyday life and our modern society. Klami's work is a tribute to the deafening beauty and greatness of nature, next to which man is quite small, even insignificant and unnecessary. The work indirectly takes a stand on the effects of human activity on the nature of our earth - not by declaring, however, but by reminding of the beauty and importance of nature to people. The independent compositions of the Voices of Earth concert form a narrative entity that comments on the consequences of the climate crisis, the importance of biodiversity and man's changing relationship with nature. Conversational and current topics are included both in the melodies and in the texts selected for the works. The well-respected composers in the field of choral music and behind the works heard in Voices of Earth concert are Alex Freeman, Anna Huuskonen, Markku Klami, Finn Shields and Matthew Whittall. They also sing in the ranks of Audite chamber choir and thus know the instrument inside-out. In addition, the concert will feature a commissioned work composed by Jani Sivén , who conducts the choir. Visual and light design in the concert is by light artist and designer Ainu Palmu . Maria Ohisalo , Finland’s Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, acts as the patron of Audite's jubilee year. The anniversary year has been supported by Jenny and Antti Wihuri Fund, the Uusimaa regional fund of the Finnish Cultural Foundation and the Finnish Cultural Foundation. Tickets to the Voices of Earth tour are available via Lippu.fi See also Audite chamber choir Alex Freeman Anna Huuskonen Finn Shields Jani Sivén Matthew Whittall Maria Ohisalo < Back to News

Maria Puusaari and Tampere Philharmonic to premiere Markku Klami's Violin Concerto Nov 14, 2025 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 Maria Puusaari, photographed by Touko Hujanen The world premiere of Markku Klami’s Violin Concerto: A Requiem will take place on April 17, 2026, at Tampere Hall’s Main Auditorium. The work will be performed by violinist Maria Puusaari and the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra , conducted by Ruut Kiiski . The concert is part of the Tampere Philharmonic’s 2025–2026 season and is presented in collaboration with the Tampere Biennale festival, celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2026. Ruut Kiiski, photographed by Ville Hautakangas Published by Edition Wilhelm Hansen , Klami's Violin Concerto: A Requiem is described by the Tampere Philharmonic as follows: “Markku Klami’s moving Requiem is more than a violin concerto – it’s a personal work of mourning and a haven of hope; a mass for a life that never began.” < Back to News

Lauri Sallinen premieres Markku Klami's Ambience I: Burning at Meidän Festivaali Jul 22, 2024 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. 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. Ambience I: Burning for clarinet and fixed electronics is the first piece in series of works by Klami, written for solo instrument and electronics. The series, carrying a main title "Ambience", refer to Klami's roots in composing electronic music in his teens in late 1990's, and his affection to ambient music. As the title suggests, Ambience I: Burning is inspired by the concept of burning. Although burning may lead one's thoughts to fire and its destructive power, Klami's work aims to bring out burning as an event that creates new growth. The increased number of forest fires in recent years is a reminder of man's impact on his environment. At the same time, however, forest fires are a means of survival for various tree species, such as Giant sequoias growing in the Sierra Mountains of California. Ambience I: Burning proceeds from the terrifying destructive power of fire towards the birth of something new and beautiful. Ambience I: Burning was commissioned by Lauri Sallinen, and is dedicated to him. The commission was made possible with the support from the Sibelius Fund. < Back to News

Clair sketches selected as a finalist in Kaleidoscope's 2019 Call for Scores in Los Angeles Oct 23, 2019 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. 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. Lauri Sallinen, clarinet, Henrik Sandås, bandoneón, Pasi Eerikäinen, violin, Annemarie Åström, violin, Jussi Tuhkanen, viola and Markus Hohti, cello, giving the world premiere of Clair sketches at Helsinki Music Centre's Camerata hall, May 2012 Kaleidoscope is a Los Angeles -based chamber orchestra working without conductor. As it is stated on their website, their mission is to enrich lives through exhilarating concert experiences, artistic excellence, musician leadership and connecting with the diverse communities of Los Angeles. They envision a world where their commitment to a collaborative artistic process results in profound orchestral performances that inspire people to pursue cooperation and artistry in their own creative, professional and personal lives. I'm so grateful for this fine ensemble to select one of my works in the finals of their Call for scores and wish to congratulate all the other finalists. I'm also very happy to spot a couple of familiar faces in our finalist group. Having been following the great work Kaleidoscope has been doing in the Los Angeles area in recent years, it is a great honor for me to be in the final round for their upcoming concert season. Kaleidoscope will announce their complete 6th concert season soon, so stay tuned for updates! < Back to News