Selected list of compositions by Sauli Zinovjev

Orchestral
Performing material on hire from sauli@saulizinovjev.com
and some scores for nKoda users can be found here

• Piano concerto (2019), 27′, (2333/4331/1+3/pf.solo/archi)
  Commissioned by the Finnish and Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestras. Will be premiered 1.4.2020 (premiere postponed due to Covid-19 pandemic) by Vikingur Olafsson and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Klaus Mäkelä.
• Un Grande Sospiro (2018), 22′, (2222/2200/2/archi)
  Commissioned by Tapiola Sinfonietta, Kymi Sinfonietta & Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne. Premiered 25.10.2019 by Tapiola Sinfonietta conducted by Klaus Mäkelä.
• Batteria (2016), 11′, (3333/4331/1+3/pf/hp/archi)
  Commissioned by the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE. Premiered by André de Ridder and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra 1.2.2017..
• Violin concerto “Der Leiermann” (2017), 25′, (2232/4330/1+1/hp/vl.solo/archi)
  Commissioned by Oulu Sinfonia. Premiered by Pekka Kuusisto & Oulu Symphony Orchestra cond. Johannes Gustavsson 19.10.2017.
• “Die Welt – Ein Tor”, Concerto for Cello & Orchestra (2017), 16′, (2222/2200/1+1/vlc.solo/archi)
  Commissioned by the Paulo Foundation as a centenary gift to Finland. Premiered by Sirja Nironen, vlc & Sibelius Academy Symphony Orchestra conducted by Atso Almila in February, 2018 at SibaFest.
• Recharged (2015/2018), 6′, strings
  Premiered by Ostrobothanian Chamber Orchestra conducted by Klaus Mäkelä.
• Sospirando 4 (2019), 6′, strings (orig. 2vl/vla/2vlc)
• Gryf (2013), 16′, (2222/2210/1perc+timp/archi)  
  Premiered by Kymi Sinfonietta conducted by Yasuo Shinozaki.

Chamber

• Sospirando 1 “Awake” (2017), 5-7′, 3-4 percussion
  Commissioned by Awake Percussion.
• Sospirando 2 “Folio” (2018), c.13-17′, vlc+acc (with optional amplification)
  Commissioned by Harri Kuusijärvi.
• A Due (2016), 7′, flute & guitar
  Premiered by Hanna Juutilainen & Markku Laakso at 5.2.2016 in Sellosali, Espoo.
  Commissioned by the performers with the kind funding of Wihuri fund.
• Pianoquartet “Chasse-Neige” (2014), 13′, vl/vla/vlc/pf 
  Premiered by Ensemble Recherche
  Download parts
• Chained (2015), 8′, accordion
  Premiered and commissioned by Harri Kuusijärvi with the funding of Madetoja Foundation.
• Epilogi (2013), 8′, piano 
  Premiered by Hanna-Mari Kousa

Vocal

• Mirkka Rekola songs (2015-18), 10′, sopr/pf
  (M. Rekola, in Finnish)
  Premiered by Tuuli Lindeberg & Minttu Siitonen
• Requiem (2015-16), 23′, SATB/vlc
  Commissioned by Mattias Rodrick. Premiere 16.11.2019 with Mattias Rodrick & Gustaf Sjökvists Kammarkör conducted by Florian Benfer.

Click here for the complete list of works

Un Grande Sospiro, (2018) Swiss premiere, performed by l’OCL conducted by Klaus Mäkelä

Batteria, (2016) performed by Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by André De Ridder

Gryf, (2013) performed by Lahti Symphony Orchestra conducted by Okko Kamu

Sospirando 2, (2018) performed by Markus Hohti and Harri Kuusijärvi

Chained, (2014) performed by Harri Kuusijärvi

Syrjä, (2016) performed by dancers Laura Sorvali & Jussi Suomalainen directed by Vilma Tihilä, video by Tommi Mustaniemi and music performed by Sauli Zinovjev, piano, Ulriikka Heikinheimo, violin, Vuokko Lahtinen, viola & Marina Vidal, cello

Upcoming performances

***Cancelled due to corona***
1.4.2020 19.00 Musiikkitalo, Helsinki, Finland
2.4.2020 19.00 Musiikkitalo, Helsinki, Finland
Vikingur Ólafsson, piano & Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Klaus Mäkelä
Piano Concerto, world premiere
Commissioned by Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Broadcasted and filmed by YLE

***Cancelled due to corona***
4.4.2020 14.00 Wigmore Hall, London
Julian Rachlin, Lorenza Borrani, Sarah McElravy, Alban Gerhardt & Klaus Mäkelä
Sospirando 4, country premiere

***Cancelled due to corona***
6.5.2020 National Arts Centre, Ottawa, Canada
7.5.2020 National Arts Centre, Ottawa, Canada
National Arts Centre Orchestra conducted by Klaus Mäkelä
Un Grande Sospiro, country premiere, North American debut

2.8.2020 yet to be confirmed
3.8.2020 Lahti Organ Festival, Ristinkirkko church, Finland
4.8.2020 ISME world conference, Helsinki
6.8.2020 Young Euro Classic-festival Berlin, Germany
Orkester Norden conducted by Eivind Gullberg Jensen
Un Grande Sospiro, German premiere

Click here for past performances

• 1988 Born in Lahti, Finland, studies in the Sibelius-Academy & Hochschule fur Musik Karlsruhe under guidance of Tapio Nevanlinna and Wolfgang Rihm 2010-2015
• A spiral of orchestral commissions including “Batteria” (commissioned by the Finnish RSO), Violin concerto for Pekka Kuusisto (commissioned by the Oulu Sinfonia) and “Die Welt – ein Tor” for cello and orchestra (commissioned by the Paulo Foundation) was launched by the success of “Gryf” in the 3rd International Uuno Klami Competition
• 2019-2020 the second wave of orchestral commissions in collaboration with conductor Klaus Mäkelä and international co-commissioners starting with “Un Grande Sospiro” (commissioned by the Tapiola Sinfonietta, Kymi Sinfonietta & Orchestra de Chambre de Lausanne (Swiss debut)) and Piano concerto for Vikingur Olafsson (commissioned by the Finnish RSO and Swedish RSO) among important debuts with Bamberger Symphoniker with Batteria and National Arts Centre Orchestra with Un Grande Sospiro
• Composer-in-residence at 60th Turku Music Festival, 2019 and Guest composer at the RUSK Festival 2017, working on a grant by Arts Promotion Centre Finland (Taike) 2019-2020

Biography

A composition at its best has everything. The entire life in a single moment. This is how composer Sauli Zinovjev (1988) sees it.

Since graduating from the Sibelius-Academy he has been focusing mainly on orchestral music with commissions and performances by distinguished orchestras such as the Finnish and Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestras, Orchestra de Chambre de Lausanne and most important Finnish orchestras in collaboration with some of the frontline conductors and soloists such as Klaus Mäkelä and Pekka Kuusisto. Zinovjev’s most recent works include a Piano Concerto for pianist Vikingur Olafsson commissioned by Finnish and Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestras to be premiered in 2020 and currently Zinovjev is composing a new orchestral piece to be premiered in the season 2020-21.

Zinovjev composes music that conveys vast emotions. The kind of music which also made him a composer. Until the age of sixteen, he played the guitar in a rock band and skateboarded. Then he saw a clip online with György Cziffra performing Liszt.

“It was as if wallpaper had been torn off the wall revealing a window to an open landscape. The euphoria and the virtuoso performance left a fanatic impression on me. To have the ability to inject so much art into a single moment. The entire spectrum of life.”

Zinovjev uses classical music to make his view of the world intelligible. To convey it – life – to others.

Anna-Kaari Hakkarainen