Saariaho Festival
Thu 13 to Sun 16 March 2025
The dreamlike world of a modern genius
In the summer of 2023, Kaija Saariaho passed away at the age of seventy. She was at the height of her fame and was celebrated as the composer who gave modernism a face that was both human and fairy-tale like. The Muziekgebouw pays tribute to her with the Saariaho Festival. A unique opportunity to get to know this ‘other-worldly music of a dreamlike quality’ (NRC). The festival will feature everything from Saariaho’s earliest spectral works to her last solo concerto. Meanwhile, the fringe programme offers a comprehensive look at her life and work.
Kaija Saariaho made a name for herself with electroacoustic works such as Lichtbogen (1986), and rose to greatness with the violin concerto Graal théâtre (1994) and the opera L’Amour de loin (2000). Since that time, she is known as the woman who knows how to touch the hearts of many with very modern musical techniques. The four-day Saariaho Festival, co-curated by Asko|Schönberg and her publisher, is the best crash course to fall in love with her work.
Program
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Masterclass theater
Peter SellarsThe story behind the collaboration with Saariaho Saariaho
Thu 13 Mar 2025Please note: for now this text is only available in Dutch while we work on the translation.
Kaija Saariaho werkte tijdens haar carrière samen met verschillende belangrijke musici, dirigenten en regisseurs. Zij waren essentieel in de ontwikkeling en uitvoering van haar oeuvre. Tijdens het Saariaho Festival belichten vier masterclasses deze bijzondere relaties.
De Amerikaanse regisseur Peter Sellars, internationaal bekend door zijn baanbrekende interpretaties van klassiekers en moderne opera, bracht de muziekdramatische werken van Saariaho op het toneel tot leven. Hij regisseerde onder meer het oratorium La Passion de Simone (première in Wenen, 2006), de opera’s L’Amour de loin (première in Salzburg, 2000) en Only the Sound Remains (première bij DNO in Amsterdam, 2016).
Program
Masterclass by opera director Peter Sellars
Credits
Peter Sellars theater and opera director
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Masterclass cello
Anssi KarttunenThe story behind the collaboration with Saariaho
Thu 13 Mar 2025Kaija Saariaho werkte tijdens haar carrière samen met verschillende belangrijke musici, dirigenten en regisseurs. Zij waren essentieel in de ontwikkeling en uitvoering van haar oeuvre. Tijdens het Saariaho Festival belichten vier masterclasses deze bijzondere relaties.
De veelgevraagde Finse cellist Annsi Karttunen was sinds de jaren 80 van de 20e eeuw bevriend met Kaija Saariaho. Sindsdien betrok zij hem bij al haar cellowerken. Haar werk Sept Papillons voor cello solo staat centraal in deze masterclass.
TIP: Tijdens het concert op zondag 16 maart om 20.15 uur speelt Anssi Karttunen het celloconcert Notes on Light van Saariaho.
Program
Masterclass by Anssi Karttunen
Credits
Anssi Karttunen cello
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Opening concert Saariaho Festival
Asko|Schönberg, Verneri Pohjola + Joseph PugliaKaija Saariaho’s swan songSaariaho
Thu 13 Mar 2025Asko|Schönberg establishes both the alpha and omega in the opening concert of the Saariaho Festival. Graal théâtre for violin and ensemble from 1994 was one of Saariaho’s first successful works, and the trumpet concerto HUSH from 2023 is her swan song. The concerto written for jazz trumpeter Verneri Pohjola takes the listener on a journey through her life. A haunting work that is even more impressive in this ensemble version.
‘Each concerto is in a way a portrait of the soloist for whom it was written’, Kaija Saariaho said of HUSH. Graal théâtre, her first concerto, written for Gidon Kremer, is such a portrait. Asko|Schönberg and violinist Joseph Puglia have played the piece so many times that they’ve truly made it their own. Nice to know: the important trumpet part in Graal théâtre returns in HUSH, her last concert.
This concert will be broadcast live by NTR on NPO Klassiek
Program
19.15 uur / Foyerdeck 1 / Inleiding
By Frederike Berntsen20:15 / Grote Zaal / Main programme
Kaija Saariaho Graal théâtre
Kaija Saariaho Solar
Kaija Saariaho HUSH (Dutch premiere)Credits
Asko|Schönberg
Ernest Martínez Izquierdo conductor
Verneri Pohjola trumpet
Joseph Puglia violin -
Masterclass trumpet
Verneri PohjolaThe story behind the collaboration with Saariaho Saariaho
Fri 14 Mar 2025Kaija Saariaho werkte tijdens haar carrière samen met verschillende belangrijke musici, dirigenten en regisseurs. Zij waren essentieel in de ontwikkeling en uitvoering van haar oeuvre. Tijdens het Saariaho Festival belichten vier masterclasses deze bijzondere relaties.
Saariaho werkte sinds begin 2022 samen met jazztrompettist Verneri Pohjola. Hun samenwerking resulteerde in het trompetconcert HUSH, dat ook haar laatste werk zou worden. Het concert is op te vatten als een reis door haar leven.
TIPS:
Tijdens het concert op donderdag 13 maart om 20.15 uur brengt Verneri Pohjola het trompetconcert HUSH van Saariaho.
Zondag 16 maart om 15.00 uur in het Bimhuis speelt Verneri Pohjola samen met percussionist Mika Kallio de soundtrack bij de natuurdocumentaire Animal Image van Perttu Saksa.Program
Masterclass by Verneri Pohjola
Credits
Verneri Pohjola trumpet
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Masterclass strings
Meta4The story behind the collaboration with Saariaho Saariaho
Fri 14 Mar 2025Kaija Saariaho werkte tijdens haar carrière samen met verschillende belangrijke musici, dirigenten en regisseurs. Zij waren essentieel in de ontwikkeling en uitvoering van haar oeuvre. Tijdens het Saariaho Festival belichten vier masterclasses deze bijzondere relaties.
Het succesvolle Finse strijkkwartet Meta4 onderhield een speciale band met Saariaho. Niet alleen bracht het kwartet meerdere cd’s uit met composities van Saariaho, ook werkte Meta4 mee aan haar kameropera Only the Sound Remains.
TIP: Tijdens het concert op vrijdag 14 maart om 20.15 uur geeft Meta4 in een notendop de relatie van Saariaho met het strijkkwartet weer.
Program
Masterclass by string quartet Meta4
Credits
Meta4:
Antti Tikkanen violin
Minna Pensola violin
Atte Kilpeläinen viola
Tomas Djupsjöbacka cello -
Terra Memoria
Meta4Saariaho’s love of stringsSaariaho, Haydn
Fri 14 Mar 2025The successful Finnish string quartet Meta4 shows Saariaho’s relationship with the string quartet in a nutshell. From her first work for string quartet and electronics, Nymphéa, to the poignant Terra Memoria, written in 2006, Saariaho’s love of strings shines through. Terra Memoria, subtitled ‘for the deceased’, stands in beautiful contrast to Haydn’s sunny String Quartet Op. 20 No. 2. A combination that Saariaho liked very much.
Founded in 2001, Meta4 has become a leading advocate for Saariaho’s string quartet works. Their recording of Fleurs de neige and Terra Memoria garnered a rave review in BBC Music Magazine, and The Times called Meta4 ‘the most remarkable string quartet ever heard’. A portrait of Saariaho’s work for string quartet at the highest level.
This concert will be recorded to be broadcast later by NTR on NPO Klassiek
Program
Kaija Saariaho Terra Memoria
Joseph Haydn Strijkkwartet Op. 20 No. 2
Kaija Saariaho Fleurs de neige
Kaija Saariaho NymphéaCredits
Antti Tikkanen violin
Minna Pensola violin
Atte Kilpeläinen viola
Tomas Djupsjöbacka cello -
From the IJ
Tuomas Norvio + Special guestAn immersive sound experienceNorvio
Fri 14 Mar 2025Like Kaija Saariaho, Finnish sound artist Tuomas Norvio finds his inspiration in nature and in ‘found sounds’. For this concert, Norvio designed a special set-up: hydrophones dangling in the water around the Muziekgebouw capture live underwater sounds from the IJ and transmit them in real-time to the Kleine Zaal. This unique sound serves as the foundation for Norvio’s electronic soundscapes, creating a truly immersive sound experience.
Tuomas Norvio has a background in electronic music, creating everything from atmospheric ambient and soundscapes to danceable beats. He still performs frequently in clubs, but is also active as a sound designer for theatre and for art projects. He collaborated with many of Finland’s most prominent musicians, from accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen to composer Esa-Pekka Salonen and violinist Pekka Kuusisto. In addition, Norvio is a permanent artist in residence at the dance company Tero Saarinen Company in Helsinki.
Installation Spatial variations for a Hank drum
The sound of the hydrophones is also part of Norvio’s installation Spatial variations for a Hank drum in the Kleine Zaal, which can be visited for free independently of the concert.Program
Electronic soundscapes with live sounds from the IJ
Credits
Tuomas Norvio electronics
and special guest -
Saariaho’s chamber music
Het Collectief + Liesbeth DevosSaariaho in her most elemental formSaariaho
Sat 15 Mar 2025The best introduction to Kaija Saariaho’s work might be her chamber music. Here, her signature sharp melodies and icy harmonies shine through in their purest form, often interwoven with swirling electronic sounds. Het Collectief crafts this utterly unique dream world through seven important works that each pull you into a state of awe-struck listening.
Ever since its foundation in 1997, Het Collectief excels in the interpretation of contemporary works. Since 2011, the Belgian ensemble has regularly collaborated successfully with Reinbert de Leeuw. The recording of the chamber music version of Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde received the highest possible rating - five stars - in Trouw. Soprano Liesbeth Devos joins Het Collectief for an exploration of Saariaho’s magical sound world, featuring solo contributions from the members of the ensemble.
Program
Kaija Saariaho Mirage
Kaija Saariaho NoaNoa
Kaija Saariaho Oi Kuu
Kaija Saariaho From the Grammar of Dreams
Kaija Saariaho Ballade
Kaija Saariaho Petals
Kaija Saariaho Die AussichtCredits
Het Collectief:
Thomas Dieltjens piano
Toon Fret flute
Martijn Vink cello
Liesbeth Devos soprano
Yannick Willox sound -
Reconnaissance
Helsinki Chamber ChoirSaariaho’s sound world in voicesSaariaho
Sat 15 Mar 2025The Helsinki Chamber Choir and Kaija Saariaho are a marriage made in musical heaven. In 2024, the choir received a Grammy for the CD Kaija Saariaho: Reconnaissance. With an anthology from Saariaho’s masterful choral repertoire, the singers demonstrate why. From her very first choral work Suomenkielinen sekakuorokappale (1979) to her latest, Reconnaissance (2020), Saariaho’s sound world shines through in these works that have been rarely performed in the Netherlands.
Throughout her career, Kaija Saariaho has had a special relationship with voices. Not only did she write several operas, culminating in Innocence, performed at the Dutch National Opera in 2023, she also composed several pieces for solo voices and for choir. The Helsinki Chamber Choir is among the best chamber choirs in the world and is the perfect ensemble to bring this side of Saariaho to the limelight.
Program
Kaija Saariaho Nuits, adieux
Kaija Saariaho Suomenkielinen sekakuorokappale
Kaija Saariaho Tag des Jahrs
Kaija Saariaho ReconnaissanceCredits
Helsinki Chamber Choir (Helsingin kamarikuoro)
Nils Schweckendiek conductor -
Sons of Chipotle
Anssi Karttunen + John Paul JonesEnergetic improvisations by two free-spirited musicians
Sat 15 Mar 2025Sons of Chipotle is the result of two free-spirited musicians joining forces for an unbridled sonic adventure. Cellist maestro Anssi Karttunen and musical virtuoso John Paul Jones are giants in their respective fields. Armed with electronics, piano and cello, they are thrilled to be making their Netherlands debut performance at the Kaija Saariaho Festival. Both Jones and Karttunen shared a friendship with Kaija Saariaho and were held in high regard by her. Karttunen has been involved in all of Saariaho’s cello works ever since they both moved to Paris in the 1980s.
Numerous composers have created new works for Anssi Karttunen, including Saariaho; he premiered several of her pieces. John Paul Jones, a founding member and the legendary multi-instrumentalist of Led Zeppelin, has collaborated with a wide range of artists as a bandleader, arranger and composer since the early 1960s. It is incredibly rare to find two of the finest musicians in the world improvising together. Both musicians are known to be curious minds, always ready to learn and to discover. When they improvise, borders disappear, they are free to migrate beyond prejudices, across continents. In a world full of conflicts and displaced people, Sons of Chipotle want music to be a place of openness.
Credits
Sons of Chipotle:
Anssi Karttunen cello, electronics
John Paul Jones piano, electronics -
Animal Image
Verneri Pohjola & Mika KallioAtmospheric Finnish post-jazz with breath-taking nature documentary
Sun 16 Mar 2025Trumpeter Verneri Pohjola and drummer Mika Kallio weave an atmospheric, sometimes wild soundscape that perfectly complements the Finnish nature film screened during the concert. Animal Image by Perttu Saksa is a poetic evocation of the northern landscape. Kaija Saariaho was very impressed by this Animal Image programme. It inspired her to write her last completed work, the trumpet concerto Hush, which Pohjola premiered in August 2023, shortly after Saariaho’s death.
Verneri Pohjola is a big name in European jazz, renowned for his ability to make avant-garde experimentation accessible to a wide audience. Percussionist Mika Kallio is a true sound magician with extensive experience in free jazz. Their intuitive musical approach perfectly complements the breath-taking black-and-white images of filmmaker Perrtu Saksa, showing a world beyond language and human concepts. ‘The music is an invitation to become an animal yourself,’ according to the creators of Animal Image.
Program
Soundtrack to Perttu Saksa's nature documentary Animal Image
Credits
Verneri Pohjola trumpet, electronics
Mika Kallio percussion -
Kaija Saariaho and Anssi Karttunen
Asko|SchönbergA special friendship and Japanese fascinationMendonça, Saariaho, Yokoyama
Sun 16 Mar 2025The Saariaho Festival’s closing concert spotlights the unique friendship between cellist Anssi Karttunen and Kaija Saariaho. The highlight is the cello concerto Notes on Light. After the premiere in 2007, The Boston Globe wrote enthusiastically: ‘At work from the start is Saariaho’s sensitive ear and highly individual feel for orchestral colour’. Asko|Schönberg brings fresh dimensions to Saariaho’s world with a work by her last ‘student’ Vasco Mendonça, and a window into her fascination with Japan.
Anssi Karttunen, who paid tribute to Oliver Knussen at the Muziekgebouw in 2023, and Kaija Saariaho have known each other since the time they both moved to Paris in the 1980s. They became good friends and Karttunen has been involved in all of Saariaho’s cello works ever since. The 2006 cello concerto Notes on Light is the ultimate musical expression of their connection. ‘Saariaho uses many of her signature extended techniques, including notes purposefully crushed with the bow until they resemble noise’, wrote The Boston Globe.
This concert will be broadcast live by NTR on NPO Klassiek
Program
Vasco Mendonça Three Speeches and a Technique
Kaija Saariaho Notes on Light
Mioko Yokoyama New work (world premiere)
Kaija Saariaho Quatre InstantsCredits
Asko|Schönberg
Ernest Martínez Izquierdo conductor
Anssi Karttunen cello
Karen Vourc’h soprano
Barbara Kozelj mezzo-soprano
News en background
Side program
The fringe programme is free to attend, with the exception of the masterclasses (10 €).
FILMS
The film programme includes the recording of Kaija Saariaho's opera Innocence (premiered in 2021 at Festival d'Aix-en-Provence), her 'masterpiece' (The New York Times) performed at the Dutch National Opera in 2023, the documentary Echoes of the Universe (2023, 80'), which closely follows Saariaho's entire life story, from her youth in Helsinki to her esteemed career and her final years in Paris, and more.
Date and time will be announced soon
EXHIBITION
Thu 13 to Sun 16 March
A mini-exhibition with scores, sketches, photos and videos that provide an insight into the world of Kaija Saariaho.
SOUND INSTALLATION
Tuomas Norvio - Spatial variations for a Hank drum
Fri 13 to Sun 16 March / Kleine Zaal
For the Saariaho Festival, Finnish sound artist Tuomas Norvio has developed a special version of his sound installation Spatial variations for a Hank drum. At the heart of this installation is a barrel-shaped steel tongue drum. This barrel is ‘played’ by solenoids, electric coils that generate magnetic fields. Visitors lay their heads on one of five ‘augmented audio’ cushions, for a personal, stunningly immersive sound experience.
Finnish company HUMU’s audio cushions create a sound bubble so that bystanders barely hear anything. They also vibrate very subtly at certain frequencies. Alongside the ‘Hank drum’ – a cross between an oil barrel (or tank) and the hang (a Swiss handpan) – Norvio incorporates another sound source into this version of his installation: live underwater recordings from the IJ river, captured by hydrophones that are placed in the water around the Muziekgebouw. On Friday night, Norvio will give an electronic live concert from the heart of his installation.
LECTURES & INTRODUCTIONS
Before each evening concert, an introduction will be given by musicians and guest speakers who are closely connected to Saariaho's life and work.
More details soon
SEPT PAPILLONS - POP-UP CONCERTS
Short pop-up concerts by cello students from Dutch conservatories will take place during the festival.
Dates and times will be announced soon.
MASTERCLASSES & WORKSHOPS
Throughout her career, Kaija Saariaho collaborated with numerous prominent musicians, conductors and directors. They played a crucial role in the development and performance of her oeuvre. At the Saariaho Festival, four masterclasses shed light on these unique relationships.
Masterclass theater by Peter Sellars
Thu 13 March / 13.00
American director Peter Sellars, renowned worldwide for his groundbreaking interpretations of classical and modern operas, brought Saariaho’s music-dramatic works to life on stage. He directed notable works such as the oratorio La Passion de Simone (premiered in Vienna, 2006), the operas L’Amour de loin (premiered in Salzburg, 2000) and Only the Sound Remains (premiered at DNO in Amsterdam, 2016).
Masterclass cello by Anssi Karttunen
Thu 13 March / 13.00
Renowned Finnish cellist Anssi Karttunen and composer Kaija Saariaho shared a friendship since the 1980s. Ever since, Saariaho involved him in all her cello works. Through Saariaho’s composition Six Japanese Gardens, Karttunen reveals her fascination with Japan.
Masterclass strings by Meta4
Fri 14 March / 16.00
The successful Finnish string quartet Meta4 had a special connection with Saariaho. The quartet not only recorded multiple CDs featuring Saariaho’s compositions but also contributed to her chamber opera, Only the Sound Remains.
Masterclass trumpet by Verneri Pohjola
Fri 14 March / 16.00
Saariaho began collaborating with jazz trumpeter Verneri Pohjola in early 2022. Their collaboration resulted in the trumpet concerto HUSH, which would also be her last work. The concerto can be regarded as a musical journey through her life
Festival Playlist
Prices and discounts
Prices
Concert prices range from 20 € - 47 € normal price / 12,50 € - 37,50 € reduced price
Early Birds 12,50 € (13-30 y.o, limited amount, full=full)
Masterclasses 10 €
The fringe programme is free to visit.
Festival discount
Order tickets for the Saariaho Festival with a discount. The more concerts you choose, the higher the discount.
• Order 3 - 6 concerts from the Saariaho Festival and receive a 20% discount on the normal ticket price.
• Order 6 - 8 concerts from the Saariaho Festival and receive a 25% discount on the normal ticket price.
• Order 9 concerts from the Saariaho Festival and receive a 35% discount on the normal ticket price.
The discount is automatically calculated when you add the concerts to your shopping cart. The discount applies to the normal admission price of a ticket and not to tickets with a Stadspas and CJP discount.
Booking information
Order tickets
Look here if you have questions about ordering tickets
Accessibility
If you have any questions, you can always call the ticket office of the Muziekgebouw.
Partners
Oscar Zepeda Arias, Head of Wise Music Classical France
Asko|Schönberg