Lotta Wennäkoski

Lotta Wennäkoski’s music is often marked by transparent timbres and dreamy glissandos, but there is also drive, energy and humour in her works.

According to Gramophone, her highly individual way with orchestration, incredible economy of means and discernible musical goals make for music that cleanses the ear with its originality.

Lotta Wennäkoski (born 1970) is a composer based in Helsinki, Finland. Her output consists of orchestral, chamber and vocal works, and her pieces are frequently performed worldwide.

In 2017, The BBC commissioned Wennäkoski to compose an orchestral work, Flounce, the premier of which was at the Last Night of the Proms in 2017. Since then, the work has been performed around 50 times.

Among later commissions, one can mention the string quartet Pige (2022) for the Danish String Quartet, the harp concerto Sigla (2022) for Sivan Magen and the Finnish RSO, and the violin concerto Prosoidia (2022-23) for Ilya Gringolts and The BBC Symphony Orchestra. Wennäkoski has also recently written her first big opera, Regine, a commission from Savonlinna Opera Festival. In October 2025, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra will premiere Wennäkoski’s new recorder concerto with Lucie Horsch as the soloist.

Wennäkoski was awarded Finland’s State Prize of Music in 2020. Currently (2022-2026), she is Artist Professor – an honorary title awarded by The Arts Promotion Centre Finland. The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra recorded Wennäkoski's orchestral music in 2015 (Soie) and in 2022 (Sigla) - both for the label Ondine. The latter won the Gramophone Award 2023 in the contemporary music category.

Image: Maarit Kytöharju/Fennica Gehrman