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FMQ publishes Markku Klami's column on the significance of arts and culture for humanity Mar 30, 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

The first ever large-scale puppet opera in the Nordic countries premieres on March 9, 2018 Mar 6, 2018 The puppet opera "Croak – Or The Unexpected Joys And Perils of Singing" will premiere at Pori Opera on March 9, 2018 The opera Croak – Or The Unexpected Joys And Perils of Singing will premiere at Promenadi Hall in Pori on Friday 9th of March 2018 The opera was written by composers Markku Klami and Maria Kallionpää , and the Pori Sinfonietta orchestra will be led by conductor Nils Schweckendiek . All in all, five soloists, seven puppeteers and thirty puppets along with the Pori Opera Choir will take to the stage during the shows. Croak is a tragic musical fantasy about love, the gift of song, and about the responsibility brought on by talent. Mikhail Brashinsky’s libretto draws its inspiration from the wisdom of classic fairytales. Croak is directed by Anna Ivanova-Brashinskaya , who has worked extensively both as a director and a teacher to promote the art of puppeteering in Finland. The puppets, costumes and the set are designed by Viktor Antonov . The composers Markku Klami and Maria Kallionpää , director Anna Ivanova-Brashinskaya and conductor Nils Schweckendiek were all intrigued by the many layers concealed within the realm of the puppet opera. When working on the score, the composers considered the unique voice qualities of all the soloist, and the musical landscape and the set visuals were created in close interaction with all the artists. In the rehearsals earlier this year, there was a palpable spirit of enthusiasm and curiosity, which came in handy resolving the surprises of the cross-disciplinary collaboration. Croak is set to renew both the opera tradition and the art of puppeteering. The music, the visuals and the choreography have all been made for a contemporary audience. The dialogue between the art forms brings fresh and expressive perspective to the ancient theme of longing for love. The Croak soloists are soprano Anna-Kristiina Kaappola , tenor Joonas Eloranta , countertenor Teppo Lampela , mezzosoprano Merja Mäkelä , and bass-baritone Jouni Kokora . The puppeteers on stage are Johanna Kultala , Maria-Elina Koivula , Anna Nekrassova , Jenni Rutanen , Riina Tikkanen , Lotta Virtanen , and Paula Vilmi . The assistant diretor is Roosa Halme , and the opera was choreographed by Tatiana Gordeeva . The rehearsals of the Pori Opera Choir were led by Ognian Vassilev . The Croak Opera is produced in cooperation with the Pori Opera and the Mixed-Art Association Poike, with Heli Latvala and Tuuli Penttinen-Lampisuo as executive producers. Croak on Facebook Croak on Instagram < Back to News

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

Thoughts on truth – Göreme Echoes featured at FBC's The Finnish Music of Our Time series Jul 14, 2020 Markku Klami's Göreme Echoes featured in Aikamme suomalaista musiikkia (The Finnish Music of Our Time) on Finnish Broadcasting Company Markku Klami's Göreme Echoes featured in Aikamme suomalaista musiikkia (The Finnish Music of Our Time) on Finnish Broadcasting Company. The program (in Finnish) can be streamed on Yle Areena until July 14, 2021. The program also includes Pekka Jalkanen's captivating and impressive choir piece Deesis , finely performed by Krysostomos Chamber Choir and their conductor Mikko Sidoroff . Below are some thoughts that have long influenced my compositional work. I see these topics as some of the timeless questions of humanity. They also served as a source of inspiration to me when I was composing Göreme Echoes. Different perceptions and views of truth (and — if I may say so — the certainty of the excellence and correctness of one's own view in relation to other views) have, in my view, always played an important role in conflicts between individuals and communities. In the view of a cultural context, I am inclined to think that every culture, ranging from individuals to bigger communities, have their own idea and understanding of truth. In this respect, it could be argued that every culture, and within it, every individual and the wider community, owns their own truths. This intellectual property is understandably perceived as an important part of identity and therefore as a heritage worth cherishing and something that is to be defended and protected. Throughout history, conflicting views on truth have led to a variety of conflicts, from brawls between individuals to political turmoil, violence, oppression, and even wars. These have been of interest to me for a very long time, and I think that these timeless questions have once again proved to be very topical as I follow the world events today. The discussion on many issues has culminated in a highly polarized debate in which the conflicting parties are not always even willing to listen to each other. In this case, it is no longer a matter of open debate, but of fighting for the excellence and legitimacy of one's own opinions and values in relation to the “wrong” opinions and values of others. The more one learns about the history of mankind, the more events and periods of time similar to the current world situation can be found, regardless of cultures, geographical locations, and period of time. It would seem that we are in an endless motion between different extremes. However, our current way of conversation, most notably on social media is marked by a considerable amount of debate withering away in defense of one’s own opinion and, sadly, often a very limited point of view. At worst cases, this keeps going on, regardless of the facts related to the original topic of discussion. Indeed, the debate on social media often seems like a series of rapid spinal cord reactions, in which the original topic very soon disappears into the background, sometimes even vanishing away. For some, it also seems necessary to be right and defend certain opinions an views as the only truths. This exponentially increases the likelihood of all kinds of conflicts. Sure, these thoughts and observations are not unique and new. Inspired by these thoughts and reflections, I composed Göreme for guitar and electronics, as well as its sibling, an electronic soundscape Göreme Echoes, in which I partly utilized the material of Göreme. The compositional processes of these two works have also been a part of my own healing process and steps on my path to a better future. My personal, practically lifelong experiences of physical, mental, and structural violence, not forgetting discrimination, surely have led me to ponder these topics and issues. In music and composing I have found a reason and strength to be able to go forward, even when in the whole world (or, my very limited views and experiences of the world around me) I have not seen reasons to continue my own existence. It may well be that these things can be heard in one way or another in my music. I know my experiences are not unique. They are true for far too many people regardless of any human quality. Still, many of these truths do not come to light and won’t be heard even today. I have also noticed that the hardships I experienced were not recognized at the time when they happened. Even today, they sometimes are not among the topics which get publicly discussed, nor their existence would be recognized. The eternal, timeless turbulence and turmoil seems to continue further. Perhaps timelessness is always topical. < 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

Victory over violence – Why I became a composer and the story behind composing Göreme Feb 25, 2019 Markku Klami's Göreme released on streaming platforms Göreme for guitar and electronics has just been released on Spotify and other streaming platforms. For the first time ever, I will publicly tell the rough story of why I became a composer and the sources of inspiration for composing Göreme. 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. The first page of the score of Göreme 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 transition between the 3rd and 4th movement 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. This version of Göreme is a live recording of a performance by Patrik Kleemola on May 20, 2010 at Sigyn hall of Turku Conservatory of Music in Turku, Finland. Hopefully we will get to do a studio recording of Göreme soon. < Back to News

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

World premiere of Karui at Uuden Musiikin Lokakuu Festival Sep 29, 2018 Markku Klami's Karui premiered at Uuden Musiikin Lokakuu Festival in Oulu Today, my first totally microtonal piece Karui (for quarter-tone clarinet and quarter tone accordion) will get its premiere at Uuden Musiikin Lokakuu Festival in Oulu, Finland. The premiere will be given by musicians of MikroEnsemble: Helmi Malmgren , quarter-tone clarinet and Veli Kujala , quarter-tone accordion. It’ll be a pleasure to also hear the other works in the concert of MikroEnsemble and spend some time with dear friends and colleagues. My warmest thanks to clarinetist Lauri Sallinen and accordionist/composer Veli Kujala for commissioning this piece and to Sibelius Fund for financial support toward this commission. < Back to News

Lauri Sallinen premieres Markku Klami's Ambience I: Burning at Meidän Festivaali Jul 21, 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

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

World premiere of Markku Klami's Fractured (Memoria II) given by decacordist Mari Mäntylä Jan 28, 2025 Mari Mäntylä, the leading Finnish decacordist, will give the world premiere performance of Markku Klami's recent work, Fractured (Memoria II), at Kuhmo Arts Centre's Lentua hall in Kuhmo on January 30, 2025. Mari Mäntylä, the leading Finnish decacordist, will give the world premiere performance of Markku Klami's recent work, Fractured (Memoria II) , at Kuhmo Arts Centre's Lentua hall in Kuhmo on January 30, 2025. Fractured (Memoria II) is a reworked, or extended version of Klami's Etude No. 2: Memoria (Remembrance) from Etudes for guitar cycle, written for Patrik Kleemola between 2020 and 2021 and published by Edition Wilhelm Hansen in 2021. The idea for an extended version with new musical material, also making use of decacorde's extended bass register, was proposed to Klami by decacordist Mari Mäntylä in 2024. While the original Memoria from Etudes for guitar 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 in the middle passage of the piece, is based on the series of arpeggios and rich use of harmonics, to be interpreted freely and with continuous rubato manner. Fractured (Memoria II) was commissioned by Mari Mäntylä, and is dedicated to her. < Back to News

Markku Klami's Elegia nominated to the 68th International Rostrum of Composers Jun 4, 2022 The Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yle) recently nominated Markku Klami's Elegia to the poems by Katja Klami to this year’s International Rostrum of Composers, organized by the International Music Council. The Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yle) recently nominated Markku Klami's Elegia to the poems by Katja Klami to this year’s International Rostrum of Composers , organized by the International Music Council . The Rostrum was held in Palermo, Italy from May 31 until June 3, 2022. Markku Klami represented contemporary Finnish music together with his colleague Jarkko Hartikainen in this year's Rostrum. The subjects of the Katja Klami's poems focus on human destinies, especially resignation and loss. The three poems, ”Minä kuvittelin sinulle elämän” (I imagined a life for you), ”Hiipuen” (Fading) and ”Palava maa” (The burning earth) , focus on unwanted infertility, the caregiver experiences of memory-impaired patients, and human actions resulting in climate change and global conflicts. The titles of the poems are echoed in the titles of Elegia's three movements. Elegia , performed by soprano Tuiki Järvensivu and TampereRaw ensemble, was recorded by the Finnish Broadcasting Company in connection with the premiere performance of the work at the Tampere Biennale festival in April. Elegia was commissioned by Tampere Biennale and written with support from The Arts Promotion Centre Finland and The Sibelius Fund. < Back to News