Kaija Saariaho (1952–2023) was a Finnish composer whose visionary work reshaped the landscape of contemporary classical music. Based in Paris since 1982, she was internationally acclaimed for her immersive sound worlds, blending live instruments with electronics to create rich, spectral textures.

She studied composition in Helsinki, Freiburg, and Paris, and her research at IRCAM marked a pivotal shift in her style—from serialism to spectralism. Saariaho received major commissions from institutions such as the Lincoln Center, IRCAM, the BBC, New York Philharmonic, Salzburg Festival, and the Finnish National Opera.

In 2019, she was voted the greatest living composer in a BBC Music Magazine poll of fellow composers. Saariaho’s legacy endures through her deeply expressive, sonically rich compositions that continue to inspire audiences and musicians worldwide.