Stories by

Composer Laura Netzel (1839–1927) was celebrated in her lifetime as a notable musician and philanthropist. Born in Savo in eastern Finland, she spent her life in Stockholm, where she came to be known as a prolific composer and an active member of various charities.

In a sun-drenched town only 200 kilometres south of the Arctic Circle, jazz connoisseurs mixed with locals to enjoy their 31st festival of music, at the Jazz on the Beach in Raahe, Finland.

"Throughout history, periods of uncertainty have prompted people to resort to art and spirituality to search for answers. Amidst the upheavals of our time, art is excellently placed to once again both reflect the world and to change it."

Antye Greie-Ripatti, an artist whose work spans many genres and continents, hosts a sonic experimentation workshop for children in Helsinki in late June. “Listening and sound should be taught at an early age, as well as the creative use of technology – and critical, resistant thinking about it,” she says.

How do musicians and other music professionals in Finland view the future? The outlook for the music industry is sunny but not entirely without clouds, according to the recently conducted Music Industry Barometer study. Although professionals believe firmly in further growth, many are concerned about how current developments will affect their livelihood, particularly the digitisation of recording distribution and the tightening competition.

While music as a profession or hobby is not the worst imaginable environmental polluter, no-one in our time and age can afford to think they are above environmental responsibility. Musicians experience eco-anxiety especially for the amount of travel associated with their profession. What can an individual musician or music consumer do to help the environment, and is it possible to achieve change through music?

Digitisation is progressing everywhere in our society, and the realm of classical and contemporary sheet music is no exception. Software and platforms are being developed for the purpose of replacing printed copies with digital files, and professionals in various fields are collaborating to produce an effective end result. What do musicians think about all this?

Third Practice, a new production by the Tero Saarinen Company in collaboration with the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra, is a hybrid artwork exploring change, remembering and forgetting, all to the tune of the music of Claudio Monteverdi.

The first episode of the FMQ Podcast deals with artist residencies. Ivor Stodolsky and Marita Muukkonen from the Artists at Risk institution tell us about their work with artists who have had to flee their home country due to pressing political situations.