Aulis Sallinen

Aulis Sallinen can be justly regarded as the natural successor to the greatest Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. After early experimentation with serialism, he adopted a clear, diatonic style that often evokes the cold expanse of Finnish landscapes. With a strong sense of national identity, Finnish traditional melodies often appear in Sallinen’s works, and the subject matter of several of his six operas draws on the history and folklore of that country, such as The Red Line, set against the backdrop of the first Finnish national election, or Kullervo, based on the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala.

Critical Acclaim

Sallinen takes you on a journey so wondrous you are sorry when it ends.  — Anthony Tommasini, New York Times

[Sallinen's] organic music does not form (or grow) in a closed greenhouse, but always in an empathic connection to a wider world, nature and culture. These works are, in a unique way, interestingly novel and strangely familiar at the same time.  — Juha Torvinen, Finnish Music Quarterly

…one never gets bored listening to the music [of Sallinen] with its many interesting harmonic combinations and unexpected fancies.  — Lars Hedblab, Svenska Dagbladet

Aulis Sallinen was born in 1935 in Salmi on the northern shore of Lake Ladoga (which the Soviet Union claimed in 1944). His early musical experience was playing the violin. Improvising (including jazz) on the piano led him to write his first compositions as a teenager. After studying with Aarre Merikanto and Joonas Kokkonen at the Sibelius Academy, he joined the staff there. He was Administrator of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (1960-69); Secretary and member of the Board (1958-73), then Chairman (1971-73) of the Finnish Composers' Society; member of the board of TEOSTO (Finnish copyright society) from 1970-84, then Chairman from 1988-90; he also served for several years on the Board of the Finnish National OperaIn 1983 he shared the Wihuri International Sibelius prize with Penderecki. He is a member of the Royal Swedish Music Academy and Honorary Doctor of the Universities of Helsinki and Turku. The Finnish Government made him Professor of Arts for life in 1981 - the first appointment of its kind, thus making it possible for him to devote all of his time to composing.

His extensive catalogue of compositions includes eight acclaimed and distinctive symphonies, the latest of which was premiered by the Concertgebouw Orchestra in April 2004. In addition, he has written some major concert works involving voices, notably the Dies Irae (1978), an apocalyptic vision of our planet destroyed, Songs of Life and Death (1994), an expansive expression of Sallinen's humanitarian creed, and The Barabbas Dialogues (2003), an unconventional, touching medititation on the Easter story.Sallinen is one of the foremost living opera composers, and he has written six important large-scale works in this genre, all of which have been revived on several occasions. The Horseman (1975) and The Red Line (1978) are social dramas rooted in Finnish culture, and played a crucial part in establishing Finland as the world's leading exporter of contemporary opera. The King Goes Forth To France (1983), commissioned jointly by the Savonlinna Festival, the Royal Opera House and the BBC; and The Palace (1991-3) introduce elements of satirical whimsy. However Kullervo (1988) and King Lear (1999), with a libretto adapted from Shakespeare's play, are heartfelt tragedies exploring familial relationships and the bleakest aspects of the human condition. The success of Sallinen's operatic technique is demonstrated by the fact that four of his operas - The Horseman, The King Goes Forth To France, Kullervo and The Red Line - are all receiving performances across Europe as Sallinen enters his eighth decade.Since 2001, Aulis Sallinen has concentrated on writing works featuring solo instruments, ranging in size from the Cello Sonata (2005) to the Horn Concerto (2002). His latest works have been a "Chamber Music" series for a variety of soloists with string orchestra.Sallinen's instrumental works are widely performed - indeed Some Aspects of Peltoniemi Hintrik's Funeral March and Chamber Music III: The Nocturnal Dances of Don Juanquixote have been established as modern classics. The German record label CPO has released a series of seven all-Sallinen CDs, featuring all of his major orchestral works.

The music of Aulis Sallinen is published exclusively by Novello & Co. Limited.

- World Opera Day | A Glimpse at the North American Canon Over the Decades
- 25th October 2019
- Contemporary opera is booming with a bounty of world premieres taking place each season. The upcoming 40th anniversary in 2020 of the premiere of Kirke Mechem’s beloved opera on Moliere’s Tartuffe...
- Summer Listening: Oboe Concertos
- 9th August 2019
- Oboes and English horns can sing, placate, and pierce through orchestral textures like no other wind instrument. The following concertos demonstrate the full breadth of their magic, from the worldliness of John...
- Summer Listening: Cello Concertos
- 19th July 2019
- Our summer listening series continues with orchestral repertoire that features solo cello. Selections range from concertos by Samuel Barber and Arnold Schoenberg to recent pieces by Thea Musgrave and Betsy Jolas, who...
- Aulis Sallinen: Four Summer Premieres
- 6th June 2017
- 'Sallinen takes you on a journey so wonderous you are sorry when it ends.' — Anthony Tommasini, New York Times Aulis Sallinen is one of Finland’s greatest symphonists and operatic composers – a bold...
- Aulis Sallinen turns 80
- 9th April 2015
- On April 9 2015 the Finnish composer Aulis Sallinen celebrated his 80th birthday. To mark the occasion a number of soloists, chamber musicians and orchestras are set to present the Novello composer’s defining works in...
- Sibelius & Nielsen 150 | Sallinen 80
- 6th January 2015
- 2015 marks the 150th anniversary of two of the most important Nordic composers, Jean Sibelius and Carl Nielsen. With over 300 works between them, there is a wealth of music from which to choose. Another key figure from...

More News

16th April 2025

RitornoCountry Premiere

SOLOISTS: Carson Cooman, organ

LOCATION: The Memorial Church, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America

26th April 2025

Cello Concerto

SOLOISTS: Gaeun Kim

PERFORMERS: Allentown Symphony

CONDUCTOR: Diane Wittry

LOCATION: Miller Symphony Hall, Allentown, PA, United States of America

27th April 2025

Cello Concerto

SOLOISTS: Gaeun Kim

PERFORMERS: Allentown Symphony

CONDUCTOR: Diane Wittry

LOCATION: Miller Symphony Hall, Allentown, PA, United States of America

5th May 2025

Ritorno

SOLOISTS: Carson Cooman, organ

LOCATION: Bruton Parish, Williamsburg, Virginia, United States of America

8th May 2025

Chamber Music V (Barabbas Variations)

SOLOISTS: Mika Väyrynen

PERFORMERS: Oulu Symphony Orchestra

CONDUCTOR: Kalle Kuusava

LOCATION: Madetojan sali, Oulu, Finland

- Catalogue Classics: Jean Sibelius - Symphony No 5
- The fifth symphony by Jean Sibelius serves as a powerful foundation for any concert programme, offering a rich tapestry of themes that can be beautifully enhanced by a wide range of complementary orchestral works. Be inspired by music from the Wise Music catalogue to craft a well-rounded and cohesive concert programme around exploration of nature, nationalism, or resilience.
- The Operas of Aulis Sallinen
- Two new productions of stage works by Aulis Sallinen open in January 2023. Read our feature on these two opera as well as other operas by the composer.
- Operas by Aulis Sallinen
- Sallinen is one of the most highly regarded Finnish opera composers with a decisive influence on the Finnish theatre landscape and whose works are being performed across international stages. Strong material, captivating stories and colorful orchestrations - explore 5 of his operas...