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

Patrik Kleemola to premiere Markku Klami's Etudes for guitar Nov 3, 2020 Four etudes, titled ”Memoria”, ”Agitato nervosamente”, ”Nocturno” and ”Stream” from Markku Klami’s upcoming Etudes for guitar collection will get their world premiere by Finnish guitarist Patrik Kleemola in his recital on November 11, 2020 at the Sibelius museum in Turku, Finland. Four etudes, titled ”2. Memoria (Remembrance)” , ”4. Agitato nervosamente” , ”5. Nocturno. Väre (Ripple)” and ” 6. Puro (Stream ) ” from Markku Klami’s upcoming Etudes for guitar collection will get their world premiere by Finnish guitarist Patrik Kleemola in his recital on November 11, 2020 at the Sibelius museum in Turku, Finland. Patrik Kleemola playing "Stream" from Etudes for guitar in a sound check for the premiere performance on November 11, 2020. Patrik Kleemola is one of the foremost Finnish classical guitarists. After winning the 2nd Guitaristival Takemitsu International Guitar Competition in Finland 2004 and gaining prizes in other competitions such as Gargnano's International Guitar Competition, his concert career has taken him to London, Buenos Aires, Rome, Dublin, Milan, Athens, Turin, Florence, Tallinn, Oberstdorf, Helsinki and other cities in South America and Europe. He has appeared as soloist on important music festivals such as Bergamo Festival Internazionale della Cultura (Italy), LACCS – concert series at London's Queen Elisabeth Hall, Turku Music Festival (Finland), Tallinn Guitar Festival (Estonia), Nuovi Spazi Musicali (Italy), Festival 5 Giornate (Italy), Limina Festival (Argentina), Feria del Libro (Uruguay), Lidköping Music Festival (Sweden) and Tampere Biennale Finland). Kleemola has performed guitar concertos by Rodrigo, Ponce, Takemitsu, Giuliani, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Vivaldi and Maggio with Orquesta Sinfonica de la Juventud Venezuelana El Sistema, Orchestra I Pomeriggi Musicali, San Remo Symphony Orchestra, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra and Lecce Symphony Orchestra. Kleemola plays regularly chamber music with various international ensembles and soloists. Kleemola's wide repertoire includes music from the early Italian 16th century to the newest contemporary compositions written for him. Kleemola's intense collaboration with composers has led to over 50 premieres of contemporary works for guitar including concertos, chamber music and solo works. Composers like Ada Gentile, Mikko Heiniö, Markku Klami, Juha T. Koskinen, Paola Livorsi, Marcela Pavia, Harri Suilamo and Harri Vuori have composed and dedicated their works to him. Kleemola has released two CDs by Pilfink records: Perchitarrasola (2012) and Through Green Glass (2015). The CDs consist of music written for Kleemola by Finnish and Italian composers. Other CD recordings include Kleemola's arrangement of Franz Schubert's Die schöne Müllerin for guitar and tenor. Kleemola's ever growing content on his personal Youtube channel is gaining a lot of following, and soon it will pass the landmark of a million views. In addition to his performing career, Kleemola is Lecturer in Guitar at Turku Conservatory & Music Institute. Kleemola gives regularly masterclasses during concert tours and recently he has given those in London, Buenos Aires, Milan and elsewhere in Italy, Estonia and Finland. Kleemola was the artistic director of the Brinkhall Summer Concerts during 2009-2011 in Turku, Finland. Kleemola is the founder and artistic director of Turku Guitar Festival. Markku Klami: Etudes for guitar: 4. Agitato nervosamente (excerpt) Klami’s Etudes is a collection of solo guitar pieces, each concentrating on a specific guitar playing technique. While targeted for younger and advanced young players, these etudes are intended and suitable for concert use by professional guitarists alike. Patrik Kleemola performs Etudes cycle on his YouTube channel In his Etudes , Klami makes use of some extended playing techniques, including playing the strings by hitting them with the left hand – and, at times, even both hands, techniques resulting in microtones, like plucking the strings on both sides of the hand on the fretboard, and partially muting the strings in various ways. These extended playing techniques are intended to provide also younger players with glimpses of the intriguing world of contemporary music. Markku Klami: Etudes for guitar: 5. Nocturno. Väre (Ripple) (excerpt) The idea to write new, contemporary music pieces that would not be technically too demanding for young and advanced younger players, while maintaining a high aesthetic value of a contemporary concert music was proposed to Klami by Kleemola. A close cooperation between Klami and Kleemola and study on the technical and aesthetic aspects of each etude has been taking place since late 2019. Klami has composed Etudes with the support by Arts Promition Centre Finland and the Finnish Cultural Foundation . Markku Klami: Etudes for guitar: 6. Puro (Stream) (excerpt) The Etudes are written for Patrik Kleemola. He will premiere the collection in whole in 2021. Stay tuned for more information about this project, which will be fully released in 2021, including a video release of each etude on Kleemola’s YouTube channel . Sheet music for Etudes is available via Edition Wilhelm Hansen (Wise Music Classical) < 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

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