Ilari Kaila is a Finnish-American composer whose music has been described with words such as “haunting”, “intriguing”, “engaging … soulful” (The New York Times), “nearly unbearable beauty… A modern masterpiece” (The WholeNote), “melodically euphoric” (Rondo Classic), “hypnotic… trancelike… fascinatingly colorful” (New York Music Daily), “I kept coming back to it… the music is so beautiful, and I want to experience it again and again” (Orchestergraben—5 Best New Music Albums of 2020), “magnificent and glistening” (Amfion), “powerfully resonating” (Helsingin Sanomat), “essentially lyrical” (Classic Melbourne), “haunting” (The New Yorker), “suffused with a pervasive sense of spirituality… truly intriguing and passionate” (Kathodik), “wonderfully played wonderful music” (Finnish Broadcasting Company, Album of the Year 2020 shortlist), “shrouded in mystery… the music sparkled… haunting… dreamlike” (South China Morning Post), “all the vicissitudes of life, from grief to joy, seemingly emerge” (Textura), and “Kaila brings with him an exciting message of rebirth built upon classical foundations” (Percorsi Musicali—Best of 2020).

His work has been presented by the MATA Festival in New York City, including the inaugural composer portrait concert in the “MATA Continued” series (“offering return engagements by some of its brightest discoveries” — Steve Smith, The New Yorker); as the Composer-in-Residence of the Chelsea Music Festival in New York and Taipei; at the American Music Festival in Albany; the Intimacy of Creativity in Hong Kong; the Metropolis Festival in Australia; the Banff Centre Summer Arts Festival in Canada; and the New York International Fringe Festival. Artists and ensembles Kaila has worked with include the Escher String Quartet, Aizuri Quartet, Tanglewood New Fromm Players, Alcott Trio, Kamus Quartet, Uusinta Ensemble, Hong Kong New Music Ensemble, Emil Holmström, Melinda Masur, Joonas Ahonen, Rachel Cheung, Olli Mustonen, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Avanti Chamber Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Albany Symphony Orchestra, Kuopio Symphony Orchestra, Joensuu Symphony Orchestra, Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra, and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra’s chamber ensembles. An album of Kaila’s chamber music, recorded by the Aizuri Quartet and pianist Adrienne Kim, was released on the Innova Recordings label in March 2020.

Kaila received his PhD in Music Composition in 2010 from Stony Brook University, New York, having previously studied at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. Between 2011 and 2014, he taught at Columbia University and as a teaching artist with the New York Philharmonic, before moving to Hong Kong where he currently works as Composer-in-Residence on the humanities faculty of HKUST.

In addition to music, Kaila works as a freelance journalist and writer, and has contributed to various publications and other media outlets in the US and Europe.

Kellojen kumarrus (The Bells Bow Down) — In Memoriam Hanna Sarvala

From the album The Bells Bow Down: Chamber Music of Ilari Kaila
(Innova Recordings, 2020 — innova 036)
Adrienne Kim, piano; Aizuri Quartet: Ariana Kim, Miho Saegusa, violins; Ayane Kozasa, viola; Karen Ouzounian, cello

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Concerto for Cello and Chamber Orchestra

Premiere performance by cellist Roi Ruottinen and the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra, Jurjen Hempel, conductor; 3 Nov 2011

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Jouhet

Premiere performance at MATA Presents: Ilari Kaila & Aizuri Quartet, 17 Dec 2018. Ariana Kim, Miho Saegusa, violins; Ayane Kozasa, viola; Karen Ouzounian, cello

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Taonta

Performed by, and dedicated to, pianist Emil Holmström.

I. Sarabande, 00:00—3:07
II. Rosary, 3:07—5:21
III. Xianwei: Tail-Biting Fish, 5:21—7:24
IV. Taonta, 7:24—11:00
V. Caudal Fin, 11:00—14:28

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Dusk

Trina Basu, violin; Ilari Kaila, voice

from Tejas — Luminous by Malini Srinivasan & Dancers

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Chamber and solo instrument works »
Works for orchestra or large ensemble »
Works for the stage »
Discography »

Chamber and solo instrument works

Solitude (2021)
for solo violin
duration: 9′
Fp: Midday Oasis, Chinese University of Hong Kong, 14 Mar 2022; Patrick Yim, violin

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Hum and Drum (2017)
for cello and piano
duration: 11′ 30″
Fp: Hong Kong Chamber Music Society, Hong Kong, 25 Nov 2017; Timo-Veikko Valve, cello; Emil Holmström, piano (Helsyd Piano Trio)

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Jouhet (2017)
for string quartet
duration: 9′ 40″
Fp: MATA Continued @ ShapeShifter Lab, New York, 17 Dec 2018; Aizuri Quartet: Ariana Kim, Miho Saegusa, violins; Ayane Kozasa, viola; Karen Ouzounian, cello

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Taonta (2016)
for piano
duration: 14′ 30″
Fp: Finnland-Institut, Berlin, 1 Dec 2016; Emil Holmström, piano
listen on SoundCloud

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Cameo (2015)
for flute, viola, piano
duration: 8′ 15″
Fp: Chelsea Music Festival, New York City, 13 Jun 2015; Malla Vivolin, flute; Derek Mosloff, viola; Emil Holmström, piano
listen on SoundCloud

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Prelude (2014)
for piano
duration: 3′
Fp: Chelsea Music Festival: Toccata and Groove, New York City, 13 Jun 2015; Melinda Lee Masur, piano

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Like Crows in the Rain (2010)
for soprano, kantele, flute, clarinet, cello
Duration: 7′ 45″
Fp: Church of the Rock, Helsinki, 25 May 2010; Elisabeth Holmertz, soprano; Hedi Viisma, kantele; Hanna Kinnunen, flute; Mikko Raasakka, clarinet and bass clarinet; Seeli Toivio, cello

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Lumen nimiä (Names of Snow) (2007)
for piano, violin, cello
duration: 7′ 45″
Fp: Scandinavia House, New York City, 15 May 2007; Susanna Suorttanen, violin; Roi Ruottinen, cello; Ilari Kaila, piano

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Kellojen kumarrus — In Memoriam Hanna Sarvala (The Bells Bow Down — In Memoriam Hanna Sarvala) (2006)
for piano and string quartet
duration: 9′
Fp: Emerson String Quartet International Chamber Music Festival, Stony Brook, New York, 5 May 2007; Tuyen Tonnu, piano; Escher String Quartet: Adam Barnett-Hart and Wu Jie, violins; Pierre Lapointe, viola; Andrew Janss, cello
Also exists as a piano concerto version.
listen on Spotify • buy track on Amazon • listen on SoundCloud

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Toccata (2004)
for piano
duration: 10′
Fp: Finnish Music Day, Sibelius Academy, Helsinki, 11 Mar 2004; Emil Holmström, piano
listen on Spotify • buy Kirill Kozlovski’s Shostakovich in Context album from Amazon (CD, streaming, or download) or from Pilfink Records

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Wisteria (2003)
for string quartet
duration: 6′
Fp: Staller Center for the Arts, Stony Brook, New York, 22 Nov 2004; Stony Brook Contemporary Chamber Players: Minghuan Xu and Carrie Kennedy, violins; David Hamano, viola; Brian Snow, cello.

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Maa hengittää (Earth Breathing) (1999)
for mezzo-soprano, piano, oboe, cello
duration: 6′ 30″
Fp: Sibelius Academy, Helsinki, Finland, spring 2000; Titta Lampela, mezzo-soprano; Emil Holmström, piano; Anni Haapaniemi, oboe; Tuomas Ylinen, cello; Helsinki, 2000

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Works for orchestra or large ensemble

Veden väki (The Underwater Folk) (2022)
for chamber orchestra—version A, with solo strings (1111-2110-2perc-pf-11111)
duration: 11′
Fp: Cosmopolis Festival, Hong Kong, 25 Sep 2022; The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Peter Biloen

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Iso tammi (The Great Oak) (2014)
for soprano and symphony orchestra
duration: 15′

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Concerto for Cello and Chamber Orchestra (2011)
for solo cello, 2222-2200-1perc-65444
duration: 17′ 30″
Fp: Kuopio, Finland, 3 Nov 2011; Roi Ruottinen, cello; Kuopio Symphony Orchestra, cond. Jurjen Hempel
listen on SoundCloud

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O Frabjous Day (2010)
for symphony orchestra
duration: 13′
Fp: Staller Center for the Arts, Stony Brook, New York, 26 Feb 2011; Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra, cond. Alan Kay

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Kellojen kumarrus — In Memoriam Hanna Sarvala (The Bells Bow Down — In Memoriam Hanna Sarvala) (2006)
for piano and symphony orchestra
duration: 9′
Also exists as a piano quintet version.

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Enter Oberon (2005)
for symphony orchestra
duration: 2′ 30″
Fp: Avanti! Summer Sounds Festival, Porvoo, Finland, 30 Jun 2005; Avanti! Chamber Orchestra, cond. Magnus Lindberg

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Skarabee (2003, revised 2004)
for symphony orchestra
duration: 8′
Fp: Päijänne sinfonietta, cond. Jani Kyllönen, Jyväskylä, Finland, Oct 2003.
Revised version recorded by the Stony Brook University Symphony Orchestra, cond. Ming Hsin, Stony Brook, New York, Dec 2004

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De Profundis (2000)
for chamber orchestra and choir
duration: 7′
Fp: Kuopio, Finland, 2 Oct 2003; Kuopio Symphony Orchestra and Ancora Chamber Choir, cond. Atso Almila

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Works for the stage

Dusk (2009) and Evening (2009)
for two western percussionists, Indian percussion (kanchira, mrdangam), singer, two violins
duration: 4′ 43″ + 16′
Two pieces from the group dance work Tejas — Luminous in the South Indian Bharatanatyam idiom, by Malini Srinivasan and Dancers.
Fp: Charles B. Wang Center, Stony Brook, New York, 24 Sep 2009; Nicholas Woodbury, marimba and western percussion; Ilari Kaila, voice and western percussion; Murali Balachandran, South Indian percussion; Trina Basu, violin
hear Dusk on SoundCloud

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Siva’s Grief
duration: 20′
for South Indian violin, Indian and western percussion, marimba, piano
A solo Bharatanatyam dance piece choreographed and performed by Malini Srinivasan. Music produced in collaboration with the ensemble by means of structured improvisation.
Fp: LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, Queens, New York City; 1-2 Oct 2010.
Trina Basu, violin; Jonathan Singer and Nick Woodbury, percussion; Ilari Kaila, piano

Discography

Aizuri Quartet and Adrienne Kim:
The Bells Bow Down — Chamber Music of Ilari Kaila
(Innova Recordings, 2020 — innova 036)

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Kirill Kozlovski: Shostakovich in Context
(Pilfink Records, 2017)
featuring Toccata for piano

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Escher String Quartet: Stony Brook Soundings
(Bridge Records, 2009 — BRIDGE 9318)
featuring The Bells Bow Down for piano and string quartet

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Piano Nyt! Contemporary Piano Music from Finland
(Siba Records, 2004 — SACD 14)
featuring Toccata for piano

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Upcoming performances and events:

The Underwater Folk (Veden väki)
2023–24 season
Minimalia Festival, Helsinki
Minimalia Ensemble, Tapio von Boehm, conductor
Dates and details TBA.

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Cameo
29 Jun 2023, 7:30 PM
Ensemble Ipse
The DiMenna Center for Classical Music, New York City
Margaret Lancaster, flute; Stephanie Griffin, viola; Molly Morkoski, piano

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Selected past events:

Cameo
9 April 2023, 4 PM
Music & Message: A Malmgren Concert
Hendricks Chapel, Syracuse University
The Kozasa, Gleicher, and Kim Trio
Isabel Lepanto Gleicher, flute; Ayane Kozasa, viola; Adrienne Kim, piano

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Solitude
21 Feb 2023, 7:30 PM
Modern Monologues: Violinist Patrick Yim
Shaw Auditorium, HKUST, Hong Kong
Patrick Yim, violin
Featuring world premieres of works by Juri Seo and John Liberatore, as well as an Asian premiere from Leilehua Lanzilotti.

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The Underwater Folk (Veden väki) (European premiere)
18 Oct 2022, 7 PM
Uuden Ajan Ensemble: Veden Väki — The Underwater Folk
House of Nobility, Helsinki
Uuden Ajan Ensemble, cond. Tapio von Boehm
Streamed on Finnish Broadcasting Company’s YLE Radio 1 here on 20 Oct 2022, 7 PM (21 Oct 2022, 12 AM UTC+08), and following the broadcast, available here.

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The Underwater Folk (Veden väki) (world premiere)
25 Sep 2022, 3 PM
Cosmopolis Festival: The Hong Kong Philharmonic — A Chamber Orchestra Concert
Shaw Auditorium, HKUST, Hong Kong
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Peter Biloen

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The Bells Bow Down
21 Aug 2022, 7:30 PM
Music in the Vineyards Festival
Inglenook Winery, Napa Valley, California
Michael Brown, piano; Adam Barnett-Hart and Daria Adams, violins; Masumi Per Rostad, viola; Edward Arron, cello

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Solitude (European premiere)
26 Jun 2022, 3 PM
New Music for Strings Festival: Crossing
Frederikskirken, Højbjerg, Aarhus, Denmark
Patrick Yim, violin

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Cameo
25 May 2022, 8 PM
Japan-Finland Contemporary Music Society
Finnish Embassy, Tokyo, Japan
Satoko Tange, flute; Maya Egashira, viola; Kyoko Fukushi, piano

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Solitude (US premiere)
4 Apr 2022 at 7:30 PM
Patrick Yim: The Versatile Violin
Orvis Auditorium, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu
Patrick Yim, violin

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Solitude (world premiere)
14 Mar 2022 at 1:30 PM
Midday Oasis: Patrick Yim Solo Violin Recital
Chung Chi College Chapel, CUHK, Hong Kong
Patrick Yim, violin
Commissioned with funds from Hong Kong Baptist University.

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Cameo
2 May 2021 at 7:30 PM
Music Alive!: Hong Kong Chamber Project
Repeat performance by popular demand, co-presented with the Cosmopolis Festival.
Cheng Yu Tung Building, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Angus Lee, flute; William Lane, viola; Rachel Cheung, piano

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Cameo
28 Apr 2021 at 7:30 PM
Cosmopolis Festival: Hong Kong Chamber Project
Cheng Yu Tung Building, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Angus Lee, flute; William Lane, viola; Rachel Cheung, piano

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Taonta
22 Apr 2021 at 7:30 PM
Music Alive!: Solo Piano Recital with Rachel Cheung
Repeat performance by popular demand, co-presented with the Cosmopolis Festival.
Cheng Yu Tung Building, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Rachel Cheung, piano

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Taonta (Asian premiere)
9 Apr 2021 at 7:30 PM
Cosmopolis Festival: Solo Piano Recital with Rachel Cheung
Cheng Yu Tung Building, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Rachel Cheung, piano

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Spring to fall 2020 concerts cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions.

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Jouhet
July 2020 [cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions]
Bravo! Vail Music Festival
Donovan Pavilion, Vail, Colorado
Aizuri Quartet: Emma Frucht and Miho Saegusa, violins; Ayane Kozasa, viola; Karen Ouzounian, cello

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27 Mar, 2020 — album release date
Aizuri Quartet and Adrienne Kim:
The Bells Bow Down — Chamber Music of Ilari Kaila
innova 036
Innova Recordings, St. Paul, Minnesota

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Wisteria
Voyager Ensemble East Coast tour
5 Mar 2020, University of Maryland, Baltimore
6 Mar 2020, Embassy of Finland, Washington D.C.
7 Mar 2020, Consulate of Finland, New York City
The Voyager Ensemble: Kurt Nikkanen and Airi Yoshioka, violins; David Yang, viola; Martti Rousi, cello

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Kellojen kumarrus (The Bells Bow Down)
6 Aug 2019 at 6 PM
Rauma Festivo 2019
Kulttuuritalo Poselli, Rauma, Finland
Kirill Kozlovski, piano; Reetta Kataja and Siljamari Heikinheimo, violins; Riitta-Liisa Ristiluoma, viola; Samuli Peltonen, cello

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Kellojen kumarrus (The Bells Bow Down)
29 Jul 2019 at 7 PM
Our Festival (Meidän Festivaali): Away from Home
Leonora Hall, Kallio-Kuninkala, Finland
Joonas Ahonen, piano; Kamus Quartet (Artistic Directors): Terhi Paldanius and Jukka Untamala, violins; Jussi Tuhkanen, viola; Petja Kainulainen, cello

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Names of Snow
12 Apr 2019 at 7:30 PM
Arion Chamber Music presents: The Alcott Trio
Christ and St. Stephen’s Church, New York City
The Alcott Trio: Adrienne Kim, piano; Emily Popham, violin; Robert La Rue, cello

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Names of Snow
2 Apr 2019 at 7:30 PM
Le Moyne Visual & Performing Arts
Panasci Chapel, Syracuse, New York
The Alcott Trio: Adrienne Kim, piano; Emily Popham, violin; Robert La Rue, cello

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Sasco: Opening Gala Concert
30 Mar 2019
Sai Kung Sound Collective (Sasco) kicks off its first season with Artistic Director, baritone Isaac Droscha, Composer-in-Residence Ilari Kaila, and an all-star cast of performers including Richard Bamping, cello; Born Lau, viola; Patrick Yim, violin; Yoonie Han, piano; George Tsontakis, guest composer; and many others, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Academy. Works by Brahms, Tsontakis, Donizetti, Kaila.
Hong Kong Academy Theatre, Sai Kung

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Sasco: Get-To-Know-You Concert
19 Jan 2019 at 4 PM
The newly-founded Sai Kung Sound Collective (Sasco) is warming up before our first opening gala concert coming up on March 30, with this afternoon recital presented at our partner institution, the Hong Kong Academy, featuring Baroque music, opera arias, musical theatre, four-hand Romantic piano pieces, and contemporary music.
Hong Kong Academy Theatre, Sai Kung
Isaac Droscha, baritone; Ilari Kaila, piano; Tete Bae, flute; Natalia Tokar, piano; Daria Kovtunova, violin; Jamie Shum, piano; Rebekah Au-Yeung, soprano; Britta Tellvik, piano

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MATA Presents: Aizuri Quartet and Ilari Kaila
17 Dec 2018 at 8 PM
Inaugural concert in a series showcasing MATA alumni. The program will last approximately 100 minutes. Includes the world premiere performance of Jouhet for string quartet.
“Through the artistry of the M-Prize winning Aizuri Quartet, alongside special guests flutist Isabel Gleicher and pianist Adrienne Kim, Kellojen Kumarrus will receive a second MATA performance on a program that will showcase the breadth of Kaila’s compositional voice.”
ShapeShifter Lab, Brooklyn, New York
Aizuri Quartet: Ariana Kim and Miho Saegusa, violins; Ayane Kozasa, viola; Karen Ouzounian, cello; with pianist Adrienne Kim, and flutist Isabel Gleicher.

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Ten Jokes, Explained (first screening)
12 Jun 2018
Cream of the Crop Exhibition, Hong Kong
Pilot of a ten-part series of animated essays currently in production, directed by Yasmin Rai and produced by File Under Pictures Ltd. Music and screenplay co-written with Tuomas Kaila.

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Wisteria
10 Jun 2018 at 4 PM
Varkauden KesäKlassinen 2018
Keskuskonttori, Varkaus, Finland
Elias Nyman and Johanna Rautakorpi, violins; Jussi-Matti Haavisto, viola; Markus Hallikainen, cello

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Hum and Drum
9 Jun 2018 at 5:15 PM (pre-concert interview), 6:00 PM (concert)
Varkauden KesäKlassinen 2018
Festival season opening concert
Warkaus-Sali, Varkaus, Finland
Markus Hallikainen, cello; Maria Hämäläinen, piano

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Ilari Kaila’s composition class concert
9 May 2018
HKUST Music Alive!
Cheng Yu Tung Building, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Each work will be performed by its composer, with ensembles consisting of HKUST students, community members, and friends; including Tete Bae, flute; Ling Chen, violin; Ilari Kaila, piano

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Toccata
25 Mar 2018 at 6:00 PM
Presentation concert of the Bogányi grand piano
“Hungary has congratulated the 100-year-old independent Finland with a Bogányi grand piano designed and developed by Hungarian pianist and Sibelius Academy alumni Gergely Bogányi. Now the Sibelius Academy is organising a presentation concert in order to introduce the audiences to the colourful spectrum of the piano’s sound.”
Camerata, Helsinki Music Centre
Maija Parko, piano

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Taonta (movements I & II)
24 Jan 2018 at 4:30 PM
The XI Leevi Madetoja Piano Competition (semi-final round)
Oamk Concert Hall, Oulu University of Applied Sciences, Finland
Kumi Shimozaki, piano

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Ilari Kaila’s composition class concert
29 Nov 2017
HKUST Music Alive!
Cheng Yu Tung Building, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Ling Chen, violin; Ilari Kaila, piano; Galison Lau, piano; HKUST students and alumni

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Hum and Drum
26 Nov 2017 at 4:00 PM
HKUST Music Alive!
Part of the Helsyd Piano Trio’s tour of Helsinki, Hong Kong, and Macau.
Cheng Yu Tung Building, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Timo-Veikko Valve, cello; Emil-Holmström, piano

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Hum and Drum (world premiere)
Names of Snow
25 Nov 2017 at 6:45 PM (reception), 7:15 (concert)
Hong Kong Chamber Music Society
Part of the Helsyd Piano Trio’s tour of Helsinki, Hong Kong, and Macau.
Ladies Recreation Centre, Hong Kong
Helsyd Piano Trio: Eriikka-Maalismaa, violin; Timo-Veikko Valve, cello; Emil Holmström, piano

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Cameo
Names of Snow (Lumen nimiä)
24 Nov 2017 at 7:00 PM
100 Years of Independent Music
Joint project between the Hong Kong New Music Ensemble and the Helsyd Piano Trio, curated by Ilari Kaila.
Musical Journeys of Clube Militar de Macau
Tete Bae, flute; Eriikka Maalismaa, violin; William Lane, viola; Timo-Veikko Valve, cello; Emil Holmström, piano

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Cameo (Asian premiere)
Names of Snow (Asian premiere)
23 Nov 2017 at 7:00 PM
100 Years of Independent Music
Spring Workshop (Remex Center), Hong Kong
Joint project between the Hong Kong New Music Ensemble and the Helsyd Piano Trio, curated by Ilari Kaila.
Tete Bae, flute; Eriikka Maalismaa, violin; William Lane, viola; Timo-Veikko Valve, cello; Emil Holmström, piano

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Concerto for Cello and Chamber Orchestra
19 Nov 2017 at 6:00 PM
Syyskonsertti
Church of the Rock, Helsinki
Markus Hallikainen, cello; Sipoo Chamber Orchestra, cond. Tapio von Boehm

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Toccata
19 Nov 2017 at 6:00 PM
Suomi100 / Finland100 Benefit Concert
Kirkkonummi Church (Pyhän Mikaelin Kirkko)
Maija Parko, piano

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Names of Snow (Lumen nimiä)
19 Nov 2017 at 3:00 PM
Klassinen Hietsu: Timo-Veikko Valve and Friends
Kick-off concert for the Helsyd Piano Trio tour to Hong Kong and Macau.
Hietalahti Pavilion, Helsinki
Eriikka Maalismaa, violin; Timo-Veikko Valve, cello; Emil Holmström, piano

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Concerto for Cello and Chamber Orchestra
18 Nov 2017 at 4:00 PM
Syyskonsertti
Sipoo Church, Finland
Markus Hallikainen, cello; Sipoo Chamber Orchestra, cond. Tapio von Boehm

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Taonta (movements I & II)
16 May 2017
Queens New Music Festival
The Secret Theatre, Queens, New York
Markus Kaitila, piano

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Ilari Kaila’s composition class concert
7 May 2017
HKUST Music Alive!
Cheng Yu Tung Building, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Ling Chen, violin; Ilari Kaila, piano; Galison Lau, piano; HKUST students and alumni

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Taonta
1 Apr 2017 at 3:00 pm
Tapiola Sinfonietta Chamber Music Ensembles: Music in the Manors
Vallmogård Manor, Kauniainen, Finland
Emil Holmström, piano

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Taonta
22 Mar 2017 at 7:00 pm
Duo Evening: Anni Haapanen & Emil Holmström
Sibelius Museum, Turku, Finland

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Names of Snow (Lumen nimiä)
4 Feb 2017 at 7:30 pm
Concerts on the Slope
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn, New York
Domenic Salerni, violin; Benjamin Larsen, cello; Marja Kaisla, piano

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Toccata
2 Feb 2017 at 6:00 pm
Flyygelikuu: Maija Parko
Vuotalo, Helsinki
Maija Parko, piano

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Taonta (world premiere)
1 Dec 2016 at 7:00 pm
Konzertreihe Freigeist
Finnland-Institut, Berlin
Emil Holmström, piano

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Toccata
30 Oct 2016 at 3:00 pm
Piano Recital: Sophie Patey and Everett Hopfner
United Church, Dauphin, Canada
Sophie Patey, piano

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Toccata
29 Oct 2016 at 7:30 pm
Piano Recital: Sophie Patey and Everett Hopfner
Lorne Watson Recital Hall, Brandon, Canada
Sophie Patey, piano

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Toccata
28 Oct 2016 at 12:30 pm
Music at Midday: Baroque Connections
University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
Sophie Patey, piano

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Toccata
14 Oct 2016 at 8:00 pm
Baroque Connections
Mosterdzaadje, Holland
Sophie Patey, piano

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Cameo (European premiere)
28 Aug 2016 at 7:00 pm
Helsingin Juhlaviikot (Helsinki Festival)
Helsinki Festival Club, Scandic Park
Malla Vivolin, flute; Hanna Hohti, viola; Emil Holmström, piano

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Toccata
12 Apr 2016
Scandinavian Composers
Steinway Haus Frankfurt, Germany
Sophie Patey, piano

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Preludes (preview from a work in progress)
9 Dec 2015 at 7:00 pm
Aikamatka
Steinway Gallery Helsinki, Finland
Emil Holmström, piano

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Toccata
15 Nov 2015 at 4 pm (panel discussion at 3 pm)
Émigré music — Klavierabend
G18, Helsinki
Kirill Kozlovski, piano

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Kyrie in Renaissance Style (world premiere)
31 Oct 2015 at 7:30 pm
Reverie @ HKUST Music Alive!
Cheng Yu Tung Building, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Reverie Choir (UK)

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Prelude (European premiere)
30 Jul 2015 at 4 pm
Our Festival (Meidän Festivaali): A walking concert with contemporary art
Featuring location-specific artwork, and two brand-new solo works: Kaila’s piano piece for Emil Holmström, and Bryce Dessner’s solo violin work for Artistic Director, violinist Pekka Kuusisto.
Kallio-Kuninkala and its surroundings, Finland
Emil Holmström, piano

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Prelude (Asian premiere)
26 Jun 2015
Chelsea Music Festival — Asian edition
Redhouse, Taipei City, Taiwan
Melinda Lee Masur, piano

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Kellojen kumarrus (The Bells Bow Down)
15 Jun 2015 at 7:30 pm
Chelsea Music Festival: Carte Blanche Avanti!
Scandinavia House, New York City
Avanti! Chamber Orchestra: Jouko Laivuori, piano; Eriikka Maalismaa and Kati Kuusava, violins; Lilli Maijala, viola; Jaakko Paarvala, cello

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Prelude (world premiere)
Toccata (New York Premiere)
13 Jun 2015 at 7:30 pm
Chelsea Music Festival: Toccata and Groove
Canoe Studios, New York City
Melinda Lee Masur, piano (Prelude); Emil Holmström, piano (Toccata)

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Cameo (world premiere)
12 Jun 2015 at 7:30 pm
Chelsea Music Festival: Opening Night Gala
Canoe Studios, New York City
Malla Vivolin, flute; Derek Mosloff, viola; Emil Holmström, piano

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Tejas — Luminous
A group dance work in the Bharatanatyam idiom by Malini Srinivasan, featuring new compositions Dusk and Evening, alongside traditional Carnatic music.
24 Aug 2014 at 4:15 pm
23 Aug 2014 at 8:15 pm
22 Aug 2014 at 4:45 pm
19 Aug 2014 at 2 pm
9 Aug 2014 at 8:45 pm
The New York International Fringe Festival
Robert Moss Theater at 440 Studios, New York City
Malini Srinivasan and Dancers. Nicholas Woodbury, percussion; Jonathan Singer, marimba and Indian percussion; Trina Basu, violin; Ilari Kaila, voice and Western percussion. A group dance work in the Bharatanatyam idiom, by Malini Srinivasan, featuring new works Dusk and Evening, alongside traditional Carnatic music. Note: These shows are performed to recorded music.

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Kellojen kumarrus (The Bells Bow Down)
17 Jul 2014 at 7:30 pm
Banff Summer Arts Festival: Music of Bright Sheng and Ilari Kaila
Rolston Recital Hall, The Banff Centre, Canada
Tyler Wottrich, piano; Evita String Quartet: Hyorim Han, Haerim Liz Lee, violins; Yi-Chun Lin, viola; Soojung Kim, cello

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Kellojen kumarrus (The Bells Bow Down)
15 Jun 2014 at 6 pm
Kallio-Kuninkala Festival
Leonora Hall, Kallio-Kuninkala, Finland
Risto-Matti Marin, piano; Zagros Ensemble and Friends

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Kellojen kumarrus (The Bells Bow Down)
4 May 2014 at 3 pm
Intimacy of Creativity 2014
Hong Kong City Hall Theatre
Nolan Pearson, piano; The Tanglewood New Fromm Players: Sarah Silver, Matthew Leslie Santana, violins; Jocelin Pan, viola; Jesse Christeson, cello

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Kellojen kumarrus (The Bells Bow Down)
3 May 2014 at 8 pm
Intimacy of Creativity 2014
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Nolan Pearson, piano; The Tanglewood New Fromm Players: Sarah Silver, Matthew Leslie Santana, violins; Jocelin Pan, viola; Jesse Christeson, cello

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Kellojen kumarrus (The Bells Bow Down)
16 Apr 2014 at 8 pm
MATA Festival: Between Noise and Silence
The Kitchen, New York City
Uusinta Chamber Ensemble: Emil Holmström, piano; Maria Puusaari, Teija Kivinen, violins; Max Savikangas, viola; Markus Hohti, cello

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Concerto for Cello and Chamber Orchestra
12 Apr 2014 at 8 pm
Metropolis New Music Festival
Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre, Australia
Marko Ylönen, cello; Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, cond. Olli Mustonen

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Concerto for Cello and Chamber Orchestra
7 Nov 2013
Carelia Hall, Joensuu, Finland
Roi Ruottinen, cello; Joensuu City Orchestra, cond. Atso Almila

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Kellojen kumarrus (The Bells Bow Down)
8 Dec 2012
Finnish Music Day Concert
Program curated by Olli Mustonen.
Main Concert Hall, Helsinki Music Centre
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra Chamber Ensembles: Kirill Kozlovski, piano; Pekka Kauppinen, Paula Sundqvist, violins; Petteri Poijärvi, viola; Tuomas Ylinen, cello.

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O Frabjous Day
17 May 2012
American Music Festival: Composer to Center Stage
A winner of the Mellon Foundation-funded “Composer to Center Stage” project, adjudicated by Aaron Jay Kernis and David Alan Miller.
EMPAC — Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center, Troy, New York
Albany Symphony Orchestra, cond. David Alan Miller

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Concerto for Cello and Chamber Orchestra (world premiere)
3 Nov 2011
Kuopio Music Center, Finland
Roi Ruottinen, cello; Kuopio Symphony Orchestra, cond. Jurjen Hempel

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Tejas — Luminous
A group dance work in the Bharatanatyam idiom by Malini Srinivasan, featuring new compositions Dusk and Evening, alongside traditional Carnatic music.
2 Oct 2011 at 8 pm
1 Oct 2011 at 8 pm
LaGuardia Perfoming Arts Center, Queens, New York City
Malini Srinivasan and Dancers; Nicholas Woodbury, marimba and Western percussion; Murali Balachandran, South Indian percussion; Trina Basu, violin; Ilari Kaila, voice and Western percussion.

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O Frabjous Day (world premiere)
26 Feb 2011
Staller Center for the Arts, Stony Brook, New York
Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra, cond. Alan Kay

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Reviews »
Articles and interviews »
Long form »

Reviews

“Ultralum must be the most unique event in our national music, if not ever, then certainly in a long time. What makes this debut album distinctive is its birth process. Works penned by Riku Karvonen and Aki Haarala were sent as files to the other musicians who added their ingredients into this beautifully flowing brew. The result is one of the most magnificently sounding domestic albums in years… Gone are the cold and transluscent shades of traditional “Nordic jazz”. In their place are brightness and warmth.”

— Aleksi Näsänen, Turun Sanomat, 21 May 2023

Full review here (in Finnish, behind paywall). More on the project here.

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“…this colourful work evokes images of supernatural undersea creatures as seen by a mermaid—the central figure of an as yet unfinished children’s opera being co-written by Kaila. Often shrouded in mystery and with pulsating undertones, the music sparkled under the tender treatment of Biloen and the ensemble. Megan Sterling’s haunting flute solo was dreamlike as it unfolded and the finely executed shifts in rhythms throughout were poignant and impressive.”

— Christopher Halls, South China Morning Post, 27 Sep 2022

Full review here.

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“He’s the rare composer who has absolutely no fear of being anthemic. … Hypnotic… spacious blend of the trancelike and the acerbic. … This is fascinatingly colorful music, and the quartet and their accomplices attack it with relish.”

— New York Music Daily, 9 Feb 2021

Full review here.

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“The nearly unbearable beauty … floats the listener into a trance-like state… Kaila’s Taonta is also a triumph for the pianist, and one cannot imagine a truer manifestation of the composer’s intent. A modern masterpiece.”

— Lesley Mitchell-Clarke, The WholeNote, 6 Feb 2021

Full review here.

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“It got stuck in my player for the year and I kept coming back to it. Simply because I think the music is so beautiful, and I want to experience it again and again.”

— Stefan Pillhofer, Orchestergraben—5 Best New Music Albums of 2020

Full review here (in German).

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“Kaila makes wise and inspired use of these elements to create varied expressive paths, endowed with peaks of emotional tension alternating with introspective passages, suffused with a pervasive sense of spirituality… unique and imaginative timbre combinations that offer good reason to get to know Kaila’s truly intriguing and passionate music.”

— Filippo Focosi, Kathodik, 28 Nov 2020

Full review here (in Italian).

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“Kaila brings with him an exciting message of rebirth built upon classical foundations: harmony (as described above) and his uncommon ability to make the strings sing.”

— Ettore Garzia, Percorsi Musicali, 24 Jul 2020

Full review here (in Italian, behind paywall).
Also on Percorsi Musicali: Kind of best of 2020.

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“Kaila’s multi-hued compositional style resists easy capture. … All the vicissitudes of life, from grief to joy, seemingly emerge… As a portrait of Kaila’s work, The Bells Bow Down succeeds splendidly. It’s even better, arguably, as a point of entry for the listener coming to the composer’s work for the first time. As memorable as the material itself is, the performances given by Kim, Gleicher, and the Aizuri Quartet are also responsible for the strong impact the recording makes.”

— Textura, 1 Jul 2020

Full review here.

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“And perhaps most importantly out of that impetus there is an originality of musical language that somewhat paradoxically sounds and feels natural, quasi-organic. … The Aizuri Quartet and pianist Adrienne Kim play the music as if they were born to it and perhaps in the end they truly have been. All six compositions are in their own way gems. … Kaila is a musical poet, a definite talent out there.”

— Grego Edwards, Gapplegate Classical-Modern Music Review, 6 Apr 2020

Full review here.

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“The newer works are characterized by their own specific kind of lucidity and tranquil confidence. Particularly Cameo and Hum and Drum, with their various twists and turns, stand out to the listener. Hidden underneath the light and gentle resonances is a meticulous harmonic design and sense of process.”

— Aki Yli-Salomäki, Uudet levyt, Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE Radio 1, 31 Mar 2020

Full program here (in Finnish).

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“Kaila, who has become a denizen of New York and is presently based at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology as composer-in-residence, represents a lucid form of neoclassicism, through which he communicates affecting tensions. In the miniature-like trio Names of Snow (2007), the piano’s energy accumulates banks of snowy, cold materialities around the pure melodic lines of the strings: wet and thick, light and granular, porous and soft. The lucky audience had the chance to hear even more of Kaila’s output on the sly, with the composer himself present, when the homey and intimate concert ended with ‘an open rehearsal and first sneak performance’ of the new cello piece Hum and Drum, composed for the trio’s guest concerts in Hong Kong. The duo was a lively perpetual motion machine, in which a cantilena-esque vocal quality (‘humming’) and thick drones (‘drumming’) were intertwined into one unbroken, melodically euphoric tandem ride.”

— Auli Särkiö-Pitkänen, Rondo Classic, 20 Nov 2017

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“The flutist Malla Vivolin, the violist Derek Mosloff and the pianist Emil Holmstrom performed the premiere of Cameo by the Finnish composer Ilari Kaila, inspired by the polyrhythms of 1970s progressive rock and the Carnatic music of southern India. Written as a celebration of Finland’s cosmopolitan outlook, the engaging piece features jaunty flute fragments, a soulful piano part and thick, rumbling textures.”

— Vivien Schweitzer, The New York Times, 14 Jun 2015

Full review here.

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“Besides ‘Night,’ the strongest sections are ‘Dusk’ and ‘Evening,’ in which intriguing part-Western music by the Finnish composer Ilari Kaila leads Ms. Srinivasan into experimentation, incorporating Western dance forms.”

— Brian Seibert, The New York Times, 10 Aug 2014

Full review here.

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“A work by the Finnish composer Ilari Kaila who has migrated to the United States, written in the memory of a fellow student who died young, Kellojen kumarrus — in memoriam Hanna Sarvala took its own license to bathe in romantic sonorities, magnificent and glistening, bringing the concert to a light-filled conclusion.”

— Jarkko Hartikainen, Amfion, 16 Jun 2014

Full review here (in Finnish).

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“Engaging as those pieces were, I confess to breathing a sigh of relief when ‘Kellojen Kumarrus,’ a haunting work for piano and string quartet by Ilari Kaila, presented unambiguously consonant harmonies and a piano line that evoked tolling bells. An elegy for a pianist who died young, the work is a concerto writ small; in fact, Mr. Kaila wrote an orchestral version concurrently. Emil Holmstrom, the pianist, played with ample gravity and dignity.”

— Steve Smith, The New York Times, 17 Apr 2014

Full review here.

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“With Olli Mustonen conducting his own Concert champetre as the final ‘dessert’ component of the festival and the young Ilari Kaila participating in an interview after the playing of his Cello Concerto, which opened the program, there was very much an atmosphere of personal involvement.

“Articulate as both an interviewee and composer, Kaila’s commissioned work is a welcome addition to the cello repertoire and met with sustained applause. The challenge of solving what he saw as the notoriously difficult problem of balancing cello and orchestra became a source of inspiration. With Marko Ylonen as cellist, this less conventional form of concerto in one continuous movement impressed as an accessible, essentially lyrical work, with cadenzas providing dramatic highlights.”

— Heather Leviston, Classic Melbourne, 15 Apr 2014

Full review here.

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“Premiere performances by the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra are few and far in between — luckily, this fall season saw one that turned out to be all the more successful. Ilari Kaila’s Concerto for Cello and Chamber Orchestra is a work with a lot of substance, and which, I believe, would only mature as an experience for the listener with multiple performances. One hopes that Kaila’s concerto will not suffer the same unfortunate fate as so much of contemporary music: of the premiere performance being the only performance.

“The concerto’s indisputable strength lies in its vigorously improvisatory character… With his tenacious and versatile touch, Roi Ruottinen gave a powerful interpretation.”

— Jussi Mattila, Keski-Savo, 5 Nov 2011

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“Ilari Kaila’s The Bells Bow Down for piano and string quartet is a chain of shaded waves of grief, in which anguish assumes the forms of various, powerfully resonating textures of sound.”

— Hannu-Ilari Lampila, Helsingin Sanomat, 19 Sep 2008

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Articles and interviews

2020 Album of the Year Nominations: Finnish Broadcasting Company — Kare Eskola, Aki Yli-Salomäki, Uudet levyt, YLE Radio 1, 1 Jan 2021

“Already in the early 2000s, he shifted to search for a freer musical atmosphere — and found it in New York. Since then, Ilari Kaila has moved to Hong Kong where he works as Composer-in-Residence at a local university. … Someone might argue that such an international album no longer has the range suited for promoting domestic classical composition — as is required for the distinction of ‘Album of the Year’ — but the preliminary jury disagrees. … It would, in fact, be great if the Ilari Kailas of the future could experience Finland’s musical atmosphere as broad enough for all kinds of work. In any case, the album is wonderfully played wonderful music, which Aki Yli-Salomäki described in his review thusly: ‘The works are characterized by their own specific kind of lucidity and tranquil confidence. Hidden underneath the light and gentle resonances is a meticulous harmonic design and sense of process.'”

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MATA@Home: Ilari Kaila — MATA Festival’s weekly series, Episode 12, 18 Dec 2020

“We’re excited to feature Hong Kong-based Finnish-American composer Ilari Kaila on the anniversary of his 2018 MATA Continued showcase! For an audio preview from that concert as well as to hear what Ilari’s been up to lately, watch MATA@Home Episode 12 now!”

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Finnish music of our time: Nuorvala, Kaila, Whittall, and Freeman — Jouhet, from the upcoming Aizuri Quartet album, on Aikamme suomalaista musiikkia with Aki Yli-Salomäki, Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE Radio 1, 27 Aug 2019 (in Finnish).

“At the heart of the ruggedness is an archaic, lost world. The earnest qualities of folk music charge the pitch collections with energy; they find their way into a splendid resolution as the fiddler-esque qualities give rise to an energetically pulsating rhythmic chug. Then, soaking up entities from the opening, the sonority comes to a halt and assumes a new state of being, slower and with a darker ring, until once again the sonority jumps back into active surging. … The animated and sonorous ten minutes of Jouhet flies by quickly.”

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Goings On About Town: MATA Festival — Steve Smith, The New Yorker, 10 Dec 2018

“From its inception in 1996, MATA has helped launch the careers of dozens of promising young composers. Now the festival starts a new initiative, ‘MATA Continued,’ offering return engagements by some of its brightest discoveries. The series starts with the Finnish composer Ilari Kaila, whose haunting lament ‘Kellojen Kumarrus’ was presented by MATA in 2014; here, the award-winning Aizuri Quartet and the pianist Adrienne Kim reprise that piece along with further works by Kaila.”

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A meeting with the composer opened the Varkaus Summer Classical — Aulikki Jääskeläinen, Warkauden Lehti, 12 July 2018

“Ilari Kaila enjoys the festival’s combination of high quality and liberated atmosphere.”

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“Maija Parko opened the concert with Ilari Kaila’s (b. 1978) Baroque-ish suite Toccata, whose piquant, rhythmic charm was a good fit for the Bogányi piano.”

— Hannu-Ilari Lampila, Helsingin Sanomat, 20 Nov 2017

Click here for the full article (in Finnish).

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Freedom glimmers afar — Kaukana kajastaa vapaus (full article behind paywall, in Finnish) — Harri Kuusisaari, Rondo Classic, 1 Apr 2017

“Composer Ilari Kaila found his artistic freedom first in New York and presently in Hong Kong. A multicultural perspective has brought home that music has no such things as right and wrong. The social role of art also becomes relevant in Hong Kong, a place currently struggling for its position.”

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Review of Kirill Kozlovski’s CD Shostakovich in Context on Uudet levyt by Kare Eskola, Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE Radio 1, 31 Mar 2017 (in Finnish)
New Finnish music in an interesting context (article in Finnish)

“Toccata, composed already ten years back by Ilari Kaila who migrated from Finland to New York and is currently active in Hong Kong, nods towards Renaissance polyphony and is intertwined with the polyphonic thinking of Shostakovich on multiple levels.”

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Conversations of pairs — Kirill Kozlovski’s CD Shostakovich in Context and other recent albums discussed on Välilevyjä, hosted by Kare Eskola, Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE Radio 1, 13 Mar 2017 (in Finnish).

“Usually, it’s the job of the Välilevyjä team to juxtapose peculiar specimens of music in such a way that they begin to converge and to communicate something they wouldn’t in isolation. But today we get off easy, as we let the musicians themselves create the dialogue.”

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5 Question to Ilari Kaila — Lana Norris, I Care If You Listen, 3 Jun 2015

“Ilari Kaila is a Finnish-born composer, based in Hong Kong and with strong ties in New York City. He is the Chelsea Music Festival 2015 Composer-in-Residence, a residency which highlights work from an emerging composer reflecting its global programming. This year’s Festival features the music of Finland and Hungary, and Kaila’s composition ‘Cameo’ headlines the 2015 season’s June 12 Opening Night Gala at Canoe Studios. A separate world premiere performance and a collaboration with the Festival’s Finnish Ensemble-in-Residence Avanti! further introduce Kaila’s latest music to New York City. We caught up with Ilari as he prepares for his premieres to learn how his global artistic network shaped his path as a composer.”

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Host Phil Whelan interviews clarinetist John Bruce Yeh and Ilari Kaila on Morning Brew, RTHK Radio 3, Hong Kong, 22 Apr 2015

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Composer profile and interview with host Ville Komppa on Ajassa soi, Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE Radio 1, 24 Sep 2014 (in Finnish)
Ajassa soi introduces pre-eminent young Finnish composers (article in Finnish)

“In the first composer profile, we get to know Ilari Kaila who moved to the United States ten years ago and teaches at Columbia University. In the episode that airs on September 24, Ajassa soi introduces a composer who has delved deeply into styles including the vocal polyphony of Guillaume de Machaut from the 14th century, as well as South Indian classical Carnatic music.”

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On-stage interview with Phillip Sametz on Australian Broadcasting Corporation/ABC Classic FM, after a performance of Kaila’s Cello Concerto with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at the Metropolis New Music Festival, 12 Apr 2014.

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MATA Festival 2014 Opens Somewhere Between Noise and Silence — concert broadcast on Q2 Music, WQXR New York, 14 May 2014

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‘Creative Dialogue’ Flashback — Tina Ma, Fine Music Magazine, June 2014

“The ‘Creative Dialogue’ presented in Studio One was not a normal concert, but was closer to a musical experiment. Ilari Kaila’s Kellojen kumarrus and Derek Bermel’s Soul Garden were played, then composers and performers began a heated discussion about the works, focusing on elements such as the choice of dynamics, articulation, and tempo. The composer explained his ideas to the performers and other composer fellows, who, in turn, gave their feedback and suggestions, and tried out some excerpts before making the final decisions. … Excerpts from ‘Creative Dialogue’ were broadcast on ‘Artbeat’ on 3 May. All works in this year’s IC project had their debuts in two world premiere concerts, which were broadcast on ‘Live on 4’ on 9 and 16 May.”

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In Touch With Ilari Kaila — Stephanie Ip, Interlude, 23 Apr 2014

“This week, we talk to Ilari Kaila, one of the six Composer Fellows, about his IC piece, Kellojen Kumarrus (The Bells Bow Down), and his musical career, in the lead up to one of Hong Kong’s most exciting events.”

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Long form

Putting the “B” Bach in GEB (essay)
— Ilari Kaila, Aeon Magazine, 24 Jun 2019 (published with the title Contrapuntal consciousness)

‘Gödel, Escher, Bach’ by Douglas Hofstadter turns 40 this year. Bach’s music never had a justified place in the book — but could it find one?

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Ilari Kaila: Toccata
Excerpt from Pianists’ Edition — Finnish Works for Piano by Tuomas Mali (FIMIC 2009)

ILARI KAILA, who currently works in New York, has written one piano work to date, Toccata (2004). It received a special prize in the composition competition of the Espoo Piano Festival of 2007. The 10-minute work was premiered by pianist and composer EMIL HOLMSTRÖM in 2004. He says that already the titles of the sections of the work — Preludi, Gont, Meditaatio and Toccata — refer to the tension between traditional forms and the composer’s fantasy which is typical of Kaila’s music. The traditional forms constitute an overt framework, emphasizing the significance of the composer’s own, modern imagination.

Aesthetic liberalism

Holmström describes Toccata as a progression where free, homophonic texture alternates with a stricter, polyphonic texture. The free introduction is followed by a tightly knit fugue (Gont). The third section is a meditative improvisation over a ground bass, and this is followed by the polyphonic and fragmentary concluding section. “The structure is challenging and dramaturgically not at all simple. The musical elements are simple, but they are dashed into pieces as the work progresses. The concluding section does not bring all the threads together: it is fragmented yet smoothes over the tension of the music.”

The keyboard writing in Toccata is contrapuntal in a very traditional way, clearly and transparently continuing the European tradition of polyphonic music. The music could almost be described as owing something to Bach, although the virtuoso element characteristic of Bach’s toccatas is absent from Kaila’s piece. “The counterpoint harks perhaps even further back, to the 14th century and composers such as Guillaume de Machaut — Kaila does not anchor his music harmonically quite as strongly as Bach does. The exploratory, short-lived and constantly shifting sections also recall Girolamo Frescobaldi. But Kaila does not have a playful postmodern approach by any means.”

In a way, Kaila’s idiom is synthetic — he takes a lot of things from the tradition but filters them in a very subjective way. “His attitude towards the aesthetics of composition is quite liberal, which obviously irritates some of his colleagues,” Holmström points out.

Clear, translucent music

For the pianist, Toccata is gratifying to play and on the whole falls under the fingers comfortably. Holmström supposes that this is because the composer is himself an excellent pianist. The clear, translucent music requires the performer to be in command of the toolkit required for traditional polyphonic playing: clear voice-leading, control of levels of sonority and a vocal kind of instrumental approach.

“Kaila’s Toccata is extremely subjective and lyrical — it requires the listener too to sit up and concentrate,” Holmström says.

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