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"For me, the most important function of music is to convey and catalyse emotions. This is why rich textures and powerful melodies play such a central role in my music," writes Mari Sainio. This column is part of the series where composers and musicians write about their music.

"Valkeajoki is so adept at arranging and performing this material that it seems like these nimble arabesques, continuous and expansive pillars of sound and incisive yet organic accents were always intended for keyboard and bellows."

"The greatest merit of this disc is in demonstrating how natural even the oddest of musical combinations can seem if driven by genuine, experience-based musicianship."

"Janne Mertanen lets the music speak for itself, though also taking the few virtuosic challenges in his stride."

"Take note not just of the eloquence of the cello lines but also of the transparency, the delicacy, the weightless loveliness of so much of the orchestral writing."

"There are gems to be discovered in this repertoire, disdained by contemporaries and marginalised by history."

"There is an encyclopaedic dimension to the compositional work of Kalevi Aho, manifest in his comprehensive series of solo concertos and solo pieces for different instruments."

"It will come as no surprise that Dima Slobodeniouk and his Lahti musicians give all four works committed and lively performances, and that the BIS team have captured them in vivid sound."

"The latest BIS release with Sebastian Fagerlund’s orchestral music includes powerful performances of two works that belong to his most convincing achievements in this genre."