AGORA: Death in Kaija Saariaho’s Last Composition
I accept music as part of the great mystery of nature, close to such things as love or death. What do we really know about those, after all?
In this way Kaija Saariaho (1952–2023) reflected her profession as a composer. The ultimate questions of universe and human existence, form a central theme in all Saariaho’s music. The trumpet concerto Hush (2023), however, deals with this theme in a very special way. Saariaho composed the work while she was terminally ill and knowing that it would be her last composition.
In my talk, I will discuss how Hush communicates death and dying, and the significance of art to humankind.
Susanna Välimäki
Susanna Välimäki is Professor of Musicology at the University of Helsinki. Välimäki is interested in music as a cultural force and a tool for societal change. Their latest books include Sävelten tyttäret: Säveltävät naiset Suomessa 1800-luvulta 1900-luvulle (“Daughters of music: Finnish women composers from 19th to the 20th Century”, 2023], co-written with Nuppu Koivisto-Kaasik, and Music, Research, and Activism (co-edited with K. Ramstedt, S. Mononen, and K. Ahlsved, 2025). Välimäki co-operates in developmental projects with symphony orchestras and produces radio and television programmes on classical music for Yle, such as Syötävät sävelet (“Tasty tones”).