3.10.2024 | Culture

Memorial concert for Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho in Tallinn

Text Susanna Poikela
Photos Maarit Kytöharju, Krista Must

A memorial concert for renowned Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho will be held at the House of the Blackheads (Mustpeade Maja) in Tallinn on 5 October at 7 pm. The Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, the Estonian Centre for Contemporary Music, and composer Helena Tulve will join forces for this event, which aims to build a cultural and musical bridge between Estonia and Finland. Saariaho’s widower, French electronic music composer Jean-Baptiste Barrière, will also participate, contributing music and taking part in a discussion.

Helena Tulve, one of the Estonian composers who had the closest contact with Saariaho, will perform her latest work Vers l’autre clarté (Towards Another Clarity), dedicated to Saariaho. The piece will be performed by the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble U, and musicians from the Estonian Electronic Music Society’s EMA ensemble.

“The piece is the second version of my earlier chamber work Becoming Light – Music for Kaija, which I wrote in the summer of 2023 after Kaija Saariaho’s passing. Musically, it represents a slow process of transformation, from dark to light, dense to sparse, and from restlessness to tranquillity,” Tulve explains.

She also noted that Saariaho is undoubtedly Finland’s most famous and successful composer after Jean Sibelius. “Her music is characterised by a deep focus on sound as a complex and evolving phenomenon, with strong emotional and physical expression.”

Taavi Kerikmäe, one of the concert’s conductors, highlights the influence Saariaho had on Estonian composers. “Her musical language has touched many of our leading composers. Several Estonian musicians have also had the privilege of working with her.”

The concert will begin with a discussion on Saariaho’s music, exploring her as both a composer and a person. The programme will feature some of Saariaho’s most iconic works, including Lichtbogen, Petals, and Miranda’s Lament, along with Helena Tulve’s new work Vers l’autre clarté, dedicated to Saariaho. Jean-Baptiste Barrière will also present his own compositions and offer live video performances of Saariaho’s music.

Tickets for the concert can be purchased through Piletilevi or the Tallinn Philharmonic website.