Sound of Finland

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Sound of Finland

What is the Sound of Finland? Finland is the first country in the world to commission a composer to create an official national soundscape. Internationally renowned composer and musician Lauri Porra created the piece.

Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs commissioned Lauri Porra, one of Finland’s most revered contemporary composers, to create the nation’s soundscape. The idea was not to present Finland’s greatest hits to the world, but to capture the country’s essence through mental images of nature, expressed by the sounds of instruments.

The result was Ääniä, a work that takes the listener on a journey through the impressions, seasons and serene beauty of Finland. “There’s space to think, feel and live in Finland,” says the composer.

Sound of Finland
Lauri Porra. Photo: Markku Pajunen.

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“It could be the color of the sky, a forest scene or the sound of water running in a river,” Porra continues. The Finnish word ääniä means “sounds” or “voices”. Actually, Lauri Porra’s work consists of 15 compositions, a total of one hour of music. Porra should be the perfect composer for expressing the soul of Finland. His great-grandfather was the iconic Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius.

If you’ve ever experienced homesickness, you know the feeling when you close your eyes and flashes of memories come to life. Sounds, smells, sensations. People and places. While they’re all personal to us, taken together they also form the contours of a country.

Lauri Porra has collaborated with prestigious orchestras around the world, including the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. His collaborations, together with his role as the bassist in the power metal band Stratovarius, have taken him to more than 50 countries.

Sound of Finland
The Finnish word ääniä means “sounds” or “voices”.

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The composition Ääniä was officially performed for the first time on Finland’s Independence Day on 6 December and soon became the soundtrack to parties and other events thrown by Finnish embassies across the world.

“The more I travelled, the more I got in contact with my Finnishness, and understood the personality and mentality of Finland,” says Porra. “I missed the four seasons, the way light and color work there, and the calmness and space. I started to create musical snapshots of Finland that I could listen to on my trips in order to relax and create a little Finnish bubble around me.”

Sound possesses a unique capability to evoke powerful emotions and memories, making audio a great way of sharing Finland’s unique identity, both inside and outside the country. It’s also a medium that most people around the world can access easily.

Porra was given creative freedom to make sure that the work felt personal and intimate, instead of turning into an idealized marketing image of the country. His musical snapshots evolved into Finland’s official soundscape. To my knowledge, it is the first of its kind in the world.

“Finns have always been deeply connected to their natural surroundings and cultural heritage,” says Paula Parviainen, Finland’s Ambassador for Culture and Creative Industries. “We wanted to bring these to a wider audience in a way that transcends languages and borders. We envision the soundscape providing a moment of peace and calm in people’s daily lives. Individuals can use it to create an opportunity to relax and reflect.”

“I have spent a large part of my life abroad and whenever I return to Finland, I notice how the scale of things appears to change,” says Porra. “This understated, minimalist music is meant to create a certain atmosphere,” he continues.

Sound of Finland
Porra is also works as the musical supervisor for Moomin.Characters

The idea for Ääniä initially emerged from discussions between Parviainen and Porra, who also works as the musical supervisor for Moomin Characters, the company that manages the rights to the beloved characters invented by Finnish artist and author Tove Jansson.

Sound of Finland, Tor Kjolberg reporting

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