Wiegenlied, (2020)
performed by Oslo Filharmonien conducted by Klaus Mäkelä

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

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

Sospirando 1 , (2017) performed by Kazutaka Morita, Naoki Yasuda, Jani Niinimäki & Jerry Piipponen

Chained, (2014) performed by Harri Kuusijärvi

Mini-documentary (in Finnish)

Click here to buy sheet music from SZ Publishing’s web store

Or click here to access sheet music in nKoda

Orchestral
Performing material on hire from sauli@saulizinovjev.com

• Wiegenlied (2020), 11′, (3333/4331/1+3/hp/archi)
  Commissioned by the Oslo Philharmonic, Gothenburg Symphony and Helsinki Philharmonic orchestras. Will be premiered 19.8.2020 by the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Klaus Mäkelä.
• 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.
• Sospirando 4 (2019), 6′, 2vl/vla/2vlc
  Commissioned by the Turku Music Festival
• 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
• 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

Upcoming performances

9.4.2021 Espoo, Finland
Tapiola Sinfonietta, Pekka Kuusisto (violin), Klaus Mäkelä (cello, conductor)
Die Welt – Ein Tor concerto for cello and orchestra
Violin Concerto Der Leiermann
Duo for violin & cello, world premiere

2.8.2021 Sibelius Hall, Lahti, Finland
3.8.2021 Järvenpää Hall, Finland
5.8.2021 Berlin Concert House, Germany
Orkester Norden conducted by Eivind Gullberg Jensen
Un Grande Sospiro

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 (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
• 2019-2021 the second wave of orchestral commissions with international co-commissioners starting with “Un Grande Sospiro” (commissioned by the Tapiola Sinfonietta, Kymi Sinfonietta & Orchestra de Chambre de Lausanne (Swiss debut)), Piano concerto (commissioned by the Finnish RSO and Swedish RSO) and “Wiegenlied” (commissioned by the Oslo Philharmonic, Gothenburg Symphony & Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestras) 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, Philharmonic Orchestras of Oslo, Helsinki & Gothenburg and the Bamberger Symfoniker, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne and Tapiola Sinfonietta. Zinovjev has collaborated with some of the frontline musicians such as Klaus Mäkelä, Vikingur Olafsson, Tuuli Lindeberg, Harri Kuusijärvi, Pekka Kuusisto and Markus Hohti. Zinovjev’s most recent works include a Piano Concerto for pianist Vikingur Olafsson commissioned by Finnish and Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestras and a new orchestral piece “Wiegenlied” commissioned by the Oslo Philharmonic, Gothenburg Symphony & Helsinki Philharmonic orchestras.

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