Rautavaara 2028: marking the Finnish composer’s centenary
Explore Einojuhani Rautavaara’s works from the Boosey & Hawkes and Fennica Gehrman catalogues in preparation for the composer’s 2028 centenary of birth. From modernism to romanticism and mysticism, his visionary music offers a diverse range to performers and audiences.
9 October 2028 is the centenary of the birth of Einojuhani Rautavaara, the leading Finnish composer of his generation. He stands as one of the most compelling and visionary voices in contemporary orchestral music, offering promoters and listeners a rare synthesis of intellectual depth and profound emotional resonance. Rautavaara’s output reflects a remarkable stylistic evolution, migrating from avant-garde serialism and neo-classicism into a lush, unashamed Romanticism and a transcendent, later-career mysticism.
“It is my belief that music is great if, at some moment, the listener catches ‘a glimpse of eternity through the window of time’... This, to my mind, is the only true justification for art. All else is of secondary importance.”
Even into his eighties, Rautavaara continued to compose with vital energy, frequently crafting works that challenged and highlighted the capabilities of specific virtuosos. His compositions seamlessly bridged the gap between rigorous structure and spiritual expression, deeply informed by German literature — particularly the poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke — and a profound connection to the natural world. From the integration of recorded birdsong in Cantus Arcticus, through the visionary series of ‘Angel’ works starting with Angels and Visitations and culminating in his seventh symphony Angel of Light which enthralled listeners worldwide, to the ‘infinite melodies’ of his late concertos including Incantations, Rautavaara’s oeuvre offers a remarkable legacy of works. For programmers seeking to captivate audiences with profound, modern masterpieces, his music represents a pinnacle of Nordic composition across the past century.
“Life is symphonic: a journey through new landscapes, strange and sometimes incredible. The same motifs are involved from start to finish, albeit they change and grow, perhaps not reaching their full extent until the very end.”
> View our Rautavaara 2028 brochure
> Listen to our Rautavaara playlist
Works by Rautavaara up to 2003 are published by Fennica Gehrman and represented by Boosey & Hawkes in the UK, British Commonwealth (excluding South Africa), Eire, Germany, the USA and Mexico.
> Explore Rautavaara on the Fennica Gehrman website
Works from 2003 are represented worldwide by Boosey & Hawkes.
> Explore Rautavaara on the Boosey & Hawkes website
Photo: © Maarit Kytoharju FIMIC