Kaija Saariaho, born 1952 in Helsinki. Studied composition with Paavo Heininen at the Sibelius Academy, laterwith Brian Ferneyhough and Klaus Huber in Freiburg. Worked at IRCAM in Paris and at otherelectronic studios, 1982. Numerous honors, including the Kranichsteiner Musikpreis (1986), the PrixItalia and the Wilhelm Hansen Prize (1988), the Grawemeyer Award (2003) and the HeidelbergerKünstlerinnenpreis (2009). Honorary doctorates from the Universities of Turku and Helsinki.