Turku Music Festival is looking for new compositions for the “Uuden musiikin kotimaan katsaus” concert

Photo: Maarit Kytöharju

The Turku Music Festival is launching a call for new Finnish compositions for the “Uuden musiikin kotimaan katsaus” (New Music in Finland Review concert). The concert on 21 November 2025 will present a broad spectrum of contemporary Finnish music and interesting authors. The search is being carried out in cooperation with the Society of Finnish Composers, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary.

The concert “Uuden musiikin kotimaan katsaus” will take place at the Sibelius Museum in Turku on 21 November 2025. The concert will present a wide range of new Finnish compositions and discuss the music that has been performed. The aim of the open call is to put together a comprehensive, interesting and thought-provoking concert programme that will give a glimpse into the world of contemporary Finnish music in the centenary year of the Society of Finnish Composers.

The concert will feature the latest new music: priority will be given to works that have not yet been premiered or are being performed for the second time. In addition to the music, the concert evening will include a discussion of the music heard between Turku Music Festival Artistic Director Lauri Porra, composer Osmo Tapio Räihälä and the composers who will be heard at the concert.

The call is open to all Finnish composers and composers settled in Finland, regardless of age or place of residence. The competition is looking for short, 3-10 minute acoustic chamber music works for 1-4 players. Composers will be able to use piano, cello, violin and/or clarinet, i.e. the works can be solos, duos, trios or quartets for this instrumentation. Each composer may submit a maximum of two works. The deadline for submitting a work is 18 May 2025. Applicants will be informed of the selected works by 15 August. Further information on the call for applications and a link to the application form can be found on the website of the Finnish Composers’ Association.

Anna Rantala, Producer, Turku Music Festival
anna.rantala@tmj.fi / +358 40 9351020

Petra Piiroinen, Project Planner, Society of Finnish Composers
petra.piiroinen@composers.fi / +358 41 5487098

The Turku Music Festival is the oldest continuously running music festival in Finland. The festival was founded in 1960 by the Turku Musical Society. The diverse city festival offers its audience high quality music, including large orchestral concerts, chamber music, recitals, jazz, open-air events and concerts for children. The Turku Music Festival organises concerts throughout the year. Lauri Porra will begin his term as Artistic Director of the Turku Music Festival in 2025.

The Society of Finnish Composers is an association of composers founded in 1945. The association provides a framework for a community of professional composers of art music from all over the country and organises professional training, advice and member services. The association promotes Finnish creative composers and oversees and supports their artistic, professional and financial interests and social prestige. The aim of the association is to ensure that Finnish composers have good conditions for practising their profession and that the position of living composers in art music is strengthened.