Magnus Lindberg
Finnish composer. Following piano studies he entered the Sibelius Academy where his composition teachers included Einojuhani Rautavaara and Paavo Heininen. The latter encouraged his students to look beyond the prevailing Finnish conservative and nationalist aesthetics, and to explore the works of the European avant-garde. Around 1980, this led to founding of the informal grouping known as the Ears Open Society including Lindberg and his contemporaries Eero Hämeeniemi, Jouni Kaipainen, Kaija Saariaho and Esa-Pekka Salonen, which aimed to encourage a greater awareness of mainstream modernism. Lindberg made a decisive move in 1981, travelling to Paris for studies with Vinko Globokar and Gérard Grisey. During this time he also attended Franco Donatoni’s classes in Siena, and made contact with Brian Ferneyhough, Helmut Lachenmann and York Höller. Lindberg was Composer-in-Residence of the New York Philharmonic between 2009 and 2012. He was appointed Composer in Residence with the London Philharmonic Orchestra for three years from the 2014/2015 season, with commissions including a second violin concerto for Frank Peter Zimmermann. Lindberg's music has been recorded on the Deutsche Grammophon, Sony, Ondine, Da Capo and Finlandia labels. In 2003 Lindberg was awarded the prestigious Wihuri Sibelius Prize. Magnus Lindberg is published by Boosey & Hawkes.
(Reprinted by kind permission of Boosey & Hawkes)