Kaija Saariaho is a renowned Finnish composer and is the artist-in-residence at Mount Holyoke this weekend. I had never heard of Saariaho before these last couple of weeks and I finally got to hear some of her music performed by the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE). It was a striking sound. There were seven pieces total. The reaction/emotion I felt listening to Saariaho's music was probably at times very similar to what audiences first thought of "The Right of Spring" by Stravinsky. Her music really opened my eyes to the possibilities and complexities of sound that we so often don't pay attention to in our daily lives. 6 Japanese Gardens (1994) for percussion and live electronics; that piece was very moving and at times evoked strong response. It opened my mind and broadened my way of thinking about composition or how to use a traditional instrument in a different way.
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