Veli-Matti Puumala (born 18 July 1965,

Kaustinen Kaustinen ( sv, Kaustby) is a municipalities of Finland, municipality of Finland. It is part of the Central Ostrobothnia regions of Finland, region. The municipality has a population about 4300 and covers an area of of which is water. The popula ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

) is a Finnish composer. He is currently (since 2005) the professor of composition at the

Sibelius Academy The Sibelius Academy ( fi, Taideyliopiston Sibelius-Akatemia, sv, Sibelius-Akademin vid Konstuniversitetet) is part of the University of the Arts Helsinki and a university-level music school which operates in Helsinki and Kuopio, Finland. It als ...

. Puumala studied composition in

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Paavo Heininen Paavo Johannes Heininen (13 January 1938 – 18 January 2022) was a Finnish composer and pianist. Biography He was born in Helsinki, where he studied at the Sibelius Academy and was taught composition by Aarre Merikanto, Einojuhani Rautavaara, Ei ...

from 1984 to 1993 and in

Siena Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centuri ...

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Franco Donatoni Franco Donatoni (9 June 1927 – 17 August 2000) was an Italian composer. Biography Born in Verona, Donatoni started studying violin at the age of seven, and frequented the local music academy. Later, he studied at the Milan Conservatory ...

in 1989 and 1990. His musical style is rooted in European Modernism, but has been also described to contain stylised references to folk music and modal elements. In addition to instrumental and vocal music, Puumala has also composed a number of electronic works and one radiophonic work, ''Rajamailla'' (''Borderlands''), which won the

Prix Italia The Prix Italia is an international Television, Radio-broadcasting and Web award. It was established in 1948 by RAI – Radiotelevisione Italiana (in 1948, RAI had the denomination RAI – Radio Audizioni Italiane) in Capri and is honoured with the ...

in 2001. His piano concerto ''Seeds of Time'' was awarded the Teosto Prize by the Finnish Composers' Copyright Society in 2005, and in 2011 he was awarded the

Erik Bergman Erik Valdemar Bergman (24 November 1911, in Nykarleby – 24 April 2006, in Helsinki) was a composer of classical music from Finland. Bergman's style ranged widely, from Romanticism in his early works (many of which he later prohibited from bein ...

Jubilee Prize "in recognition of his excellent, versatile work continuing the ethical and spiritual tradition of Modernism". Puumala is also known as a musical educator: he has taught music theory since 1989 and composition since 1997 at the

and was appointed as a professor of composition in 2005.

Selected works

* ''Scroscio'' (1989) for chamber ensemble * ''Verso'' (1990–91) for chamber ensemble * ''Ghirlande'' (1992) for chamber ensemble * ''Line to Clash'' (1991–93) for orchestra * ''Tutta via'' (1992–93) for chamber orchestra * String Quartet (1994) * ''Chant Chains'' (1994–95) for chamber orchestra * ''Chains of Camenæ'' (1995–96) for orchestra * ''Soira'' (1996) for accordion and chamber orchestra * ''Chainsprings'' (1995–97) for orchestra * ''Taon'' (1998-2000) for double bass and chamber orchestra * ''Seeds of Time'' (2004) for piano and orchestra * ''Mure'' (2008) for chamber ensemble * ''Anna Liisa'' (2001–08), opera in three acts, libretto by the composer and Tiina Käkelä-Puumala based on a play by

Minna Canth Minna Canth (; born Ulrika Wilhelmina Johnson; 19 March 1844 – 12 May 1897) was a Finnish writer and social activist. Canth began to write while managing her family draper's shop and living as a widow raising seven children. Her work addresse ...

. * ''Rope'' (2010–12) for orchestra * ''Tear'' (2012–13) for chamber orchestra * ''Rime'' (2012–13) for string orchestra * ''Root'' (2015-17) for orchestra

References

Sources

*Hillilä, Ruth-Ester and Hong, Barbara B. 1997. "Historical Dictionary of the Music and Musicians of Finland". Greenwood. {{DEFAULTSORT:Puumala, Veli-Matti 1965 births Living people 20th-century classical composers 21st-century classical composers Finnish classical composers Sibelius Academy alumni Finnish male classical composers 20th-century male musicians 21st-century male musicians 20th-century Finnish composers 21st-century Finnish composers