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The composer Selim Palmgren walked a tightrope between national and international trends in music. He was part of the Finnish national music movement but tried to combine this with a more international outlook.

In her article Paying the piper (FMQ 3-4/2015) Merja Hottinen writes about incomes of musicians and composers in Finland today. What is the current state of musicians' earnings and employment in the UK and Italy? Read Andrew Mellor's and Federico Ermirio's reports.

"The chamber choir Key Ensemble from Turku proved its excellent standard by winning the adult category in the BBC’s competition ‘Let the people sing’ last year. The latest CD delivers some fine moments, and keeps the focus on Nordic contemporary composers."

"When a decision is reached to title a release this prophetically, you’d better deliver the goods in a novel way. Luckily, this proves to be the case here. For their sixth album, Von Hertzen Brothers find the fifth gear and pummel ahead with fresh vigour and stamina."

America had Bing Crosby, Britain Al Bowlly, France Maurice Chevalier. In the pre-war years, every country had a charming gentleman singer who entertained us on records, radio and the screen. But lucky Finland had everything twofold. We had the Malmstén brothers, Georg and Eugen, the bright singing stars of the thirties.

"...it is a stunning album by one of the most interesting artists in the Finnish avant-garde underground. Throughout the album the listener is invited to witness how solitary and sparse elements create majestic soundscapes and dense emotional condensations."

Despite repeated and persistent efforts spanning a century, Helsinki has never had a true orchestral concert hall until this year. The new Music Centre, opening in August 2011, is the first ever venue in Finland's capital city specifically designed and intended for the performing of symphonic music.

"What can you actually play on the old folk instrument called the jouhikko (bowed lyre)? Ilkka Heinonen’s answer to that is: anything!"

The most prolific and most popular opera librettist in Finland today is a writer, poet and musician from Peru: Maritza Núñez. The opera Frida y Diego by Kalevi Aho, commissioned by the Sibelius Academy, is to be premiered at the Helsinki Musiikkitalo in October 2014.