Kaija Saariaho
KAIJA SAARIAHO (1952, Finland) has lived and worked in Paris since 1982. She studied composition under Paavo Heininen at the Sibelius Academy and later at the Musikhochschule in Freiburg with Brian Ferneyhough and Klaus Huber. In 1982 she attended courses in computer music at IRCAM in Paris, since when the computer has been an important element of her composing technique. In 1986 she was awarded the Kranichsteiner Preis at the new music summer courses in Darmstadt, and in 1988 the Prix Italia, for her work Stilleben. In 1989 Stilleben and Io were awarded the Ars Electronica Prize. More recently, in 2000 she received both the Nordic Music Prize (for Lonh) and the Stoeger Award of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (in recognition of outstanding services to chamber music). She achieved international reputation with works that include Verblendungen (orchestra and tape, 1982–84), Lichtbogen for chamber ensemble and electronics (1985–1996), Nymphéa (1987) for string quartet and electronics, a commission from the Lincoln Center for the Kronos Quartet), and two linked orchestral works Du Cristal and ...à la fumée. Saariaho has also taken part in a number of multimedia productions such as the full-length ballet Maa (1991) and a pan-European collaborative project to produce a CD-ROM Prisma about her life and work. Nowadays she is working on oratorio La Passion de Simone and operatic opus called Adriana Mater commissioned by the Opéra National de Paris and the Finnish National Opera (first performance at the Bastille Opera, Paris in March 2006).
Works (selection): L’Amour de loin, opera (2000), Im Traume for cello and piano (1980), Verblendungen for orchestra (1984), Lichtbogen for 9 Musicians (1986), Io for chamber orchestra and electronics (1987), Petals for cello and electronics (1988), Stilleben for electronics (1988), Du Cristal for orchestra (1989), ...à la Fumée for alto flute, cello and orchestra (1990), Maa, ballet music in 7 scenes (1991), Fall for harp and electronics (1991), Gates for chamber orchestra and electronics (1991), Amers for cello and chamber orchestra (1992), Caliban's Dream for baritone and ensemble (1993), Six Japanese Gardens for percussions and electronics (1994), Graal Théâtre for violin and orchestra (1994, chamber version 1997), Folia for double bass and electronics (1995), Lonh for soprano and electronics (1996), Château de l’âme for soprano, chorus and chamber orchestra (1996), Miranda’s Lament for soprano and ensemble (1997), Mirrors for flute and cello (1997), Nymphéa Reflection for orchestra (2001), Überzeugung for 3 female voices and ensemble (2001), Tag des Jahrs for mixed choir and electronics (2001), Orion for orchestra (2002), Ferdinand's Comfort for soprano, baritone and ensemble (2004), Adriana Mater, opera (work in progress), Asteroid 4179: Toutatis for orchestra (work in progress), La Passion de Simone, oratorio (work in progress).