Mini-documentary (in Finnish)

Orchestral
Performing material on hire from milly.paine@harrisonparrott.co.uk

• Hit & Run (2021), 6′, (3333/4331/1+4/archi)
  Commissioned by the Bamberger Symfoniker
• 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

• Triple Drive (2021), 11′, cl,vlc,pf
  Commissioned by the Bowery Trio
• Double Trouble (2021), 11′, vl/vlc
  Commissioned by the Tapiola Sinfonietta and premiered by Pekka Kuusisto & Klaus Mäkelä
• 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 laulut (2015-18), 10′, sopr/pf
  (M. Rekola, in Finnish)
  Premiered by Tuuli Lindeberg & Minttu Siitonen

Click here for the complete list of works

Upcoming performances

22.12.2021 Helsinki, Finland
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Klaus Mäkelä
Wiegenlied, country premiere

7.1.2022 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

4.2.2022 Berwaldhallen, Stockholm, Sweden
5.2.2022 Berwaldhallen, Stockholm, Sweden
Vikingur Ólafsson, piano & Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Klaus Mäkelä
Piano Concerto, country premiere

6.3.2022 Edinburgh, UK
Pekka Kuusisto & Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s Chamber Ensemble
Double Trouble, country premiere

15.6.2022 München, Germany
16.6.2022 München, Germany
17.6.2022 München, Germany
Münchner Philharmoniker conducted by Klaus Mäkelä
Batteria

26.6.2022 Suntory Hall, Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra conducted by Klaus Mäkelä
Batteria, country 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 (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 a 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 debut with Bamberger Symphoniker
• 2021 An exclusive, worldwide publishing agreement with the Birdsong Music Publishing by HarrisonParrot
• Composer-in-residence at the 60th Turku Music Festival, 2019, Guest composer at the RUSK Festival 2017, working on a grants by Arts Promotion Centre Finland (Taike) 2019-2020 & 2022, Finnish Cultural Foundation 2018, Wihuri’s Foundation 2021, Stipendium at the International Künstlerhaus Villa Concordia, 2021

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, Sakari Oramo, Pekka Kuusisto and Tuuli Lindeberg. Zinovjev’s most recent works include a Piano Concerto for pianist Vikingur Olafsson commissioned by Finnish and Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestras and an 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