Outi Tarkiainen Foto Saara Salmi
Outi Tarkiainen. Photo: Saara Salmi.

Outi Tarkiainen (b. 1985) is a composer who works with both classical and jazz music. She has composed solo instrument, vocal and chamber music, works for soloist with orchestra, as well as music for jazz orchestras and ensembles. As a composer, Tarkiainen is particularly interested in the human voice in all its complexity. Tarkiainen's music has been performed in several European countries as well as in the United States, and recorded by Norrbotten Big Band, Umo Jazz Orchestra, Metropole Orchestra, Metropole String Orchestra and Lapland Chamber Orchestra. 

"In Lásságámmi I will work on a 40-minutes long song cycle for mezzo soprano and sinfonietta called Eanan, gida nieida (engl. Earth, springs daughter). The text is a vast collage of sami poetry, with poets from Norway, Sweden and Finland. Nils-Aslak Valkeapää’s texts are featured as well. In the song cycle I’m trying to reflect and illustrate the northern set of mind both historically and geographically, from a female point of view."