Born in Helsinki, 9 Oct, 1928
Died in Helsinki, 27 July, 2016
[PRONUNCIATION / AY-no-yu-hah-ni ROW-ta-vah-ra]
- Einojuhani Rautavaara began studying music in his teens, earning a place Helsinki University for musicology and the Sibelius Academy for composition.
- In 1955, Jean Sibelius selected Rautavaara for a scholarship to study in the United States. Rautavaara spent two years studying with Vincent Persichetti at Juilliard. He also took part in the summer courses at Tanglewood given by Roger Sessions and Aaron Copland.1
- As a composer, Rautavaara cycled through several styles throughout his long career. In the 1950s, his music is most often characterized by neoclassical elements, while the 60s brought a shift toward the avant-garde and experiments in 12-tone techniques. In the 70s, the composer embraced Romanticism, ultimately reaching his final “mystical” phase with music featuring angels.2
- Rautavaara was quite prolific, writing eight symphonies, nine operas, 12 instrumental (and one choral) concertos, chamber music, choral music, and vocal works.3
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Short biography
Sources
- “Rautavaara, Einojuhani,” Fennica Gehrman, accessed October 25, 2024, https://fennicagehrman.fi/composer/rautavaara-einojuhani/.
- Tom Huizenga, “Eclectic Finnish Composer Einojuhani Rautavaara Dies At 87,” NPR (2016), accessed October 25, 2024, https://www.npr.org/sections/deceptivecadence/2016/07/28/487824438/eclectic-finnish-composer-einojuhani-rautavaara-dies-at-87.
- Guy Rickards, “Einojuhani Rautavaara obituary,” The Guardian (2016), accessed October 25, 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jul/28/einojuhani-rautavaara-obituary.