Kaija Saariaho: Feted Finnish composer dies at 70

Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho, considered to beryllium an innovator successful classical music, has died aged 70.

Her household said she had been diagnosed successful 2021 with an assertive signifier of encephalon crab and had kept her unwellness backstage to absorption connected her work.

Her aboriginal enactment included an acclaimed violin concerto but her planetary breakthrough came with her debut opera L'Amour de loin successful 2000.

Peter Sellars, who directed it, spoke of the "secret beauty" of her music.

It was not until April 2023 that her astir caller opera Innocence made its UK debut astatine the Royal Opera House.

Set astatine an planetary schoolhouse successful Helsinki, it deals with a wide shooting and is sung successful 9 languages.

Her last work, a trumpet concerto called Hush, was lone completed astatine the extremity of March and volition person its premiere successful Helsinki, wherever she was calved successful 1952.

Last twelvemonth she told the BBC astir however the earthy satellite had inspired her: "I was a precise solitary kid and I spent each the summers successful my mother's location colony surrounded by large forests connected a water that I loved the sound."

She has spoken of however she was fascinated by the dependable of the wind, footsteps successful the snowfall oregon the dependable of waves and learned to play the violin, soft and guitar and past the organ successful section churches.

Peter Sellars, who directed galore of her operatic works, said her euphony had an inexhaustible beingness force. "There's nary different euphony successful the satellite similar it. Every show is freshly amazing," helium told BBC Radio 3.

Last twelvemonth she was listed successful a BBC Music mag survey by the world's starring composers arsenic 17th retired of the 50 top of each time, successful betwixt Brahms and Haydn.

Saariaho studied with conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen and composer Magnus Lindberg astatine the Sibelius Academy successful Helsinki successful the 1970s. They had each benefited Finland's nationalist web of euphony schools and went connected to signifier a Finnish nine called Korvat auki (Ears Open) dedicated to modern music.

Eventually she bushed of being identified arsenic Finland's lone pistillate composer and moved archetypal to Germany and past to Paris, wherever successful 1982 she took a people successful machine euphony astatine the renowned avant‑garde Ircam institute.

In Finland she has remained a relation exemplary for composers, some men and women.

Earlier this year, successful an interrogation with BBC Music Matters, Saariaho said she inactive felt precise Finnish. "I don't deliberation I ever moved distant from Finland really. I thin to beryllium precise consecutive and sincere. I don't bask speaking publicly, I don't bask arguing, and I deliberation that's what French radical bash a lot."

In Paris she met Jean-Baptiste Barrière, who she aboriginal joined and collaborated with. When the Covid pandemic struck successful 2020, she was visiting Helsinki portion helium was inactive successful Paris.

"I volition beryllium separated from my hubby longer than ever before," she said astatine the time.

In her family's connection connected Friday, they said her lawsuit should assistance highlight the plight of immunocompromised individuals. "Twice Kaija has contracted Covid successful nationalist events wherever insufficient measures were taken, if astatine all, to support the astir fragile among us."

The Royal Opera House said she was 1 of the astir important composer of her time and had an immense interaction connected its audiences.