One of 2023 highlights was to get the opportunity to compose “Science Frictions”, a 20 minute piece in 7 movements to a text by Cia Rinne. “Science Frictions” is the Conferment Cantataof  Helsinki University for their 100th Conferment Ceremony Jubilee. The piece was performed four times by the wonderful countertenor David Hackston, the Academic Choral Society and Helsinki University Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Aku Sorensen. Doktor Kristina Ranki and composer Cecilia Damström “Science Frictions” was premiered at the Opening Ceremony of the Conferment Jubilee on the 20th of ..read more

The new conferment cantata Science Frictions that I composed to a new text by Cia Rinne, got such a great review by Nuppu Koivisto in the largest Finnish tabloid Helsingin Sanomat, so I translated the whole review which you can read below. Helsinki now celebrates doctors and masters - The ceremony includes a own composition, and this year it's very special The message of the commissioned composition is universal: the role and importance of science in society is not just for university students, but for all of us. Cecilia Damström (music) and Cia Rinne (text): Science Frictions for counterteno ..read more

What a wonderfully crazy week it has been! Went to Stockholm for two nights and held a guest lecture for the composition department of the Royal College of Music in Stockholm on Friday afternoon and attended TampereRaw’s concert at Konserthuset Stockholm in the evening, including an amazing performance of my Piano Quintet "Minna - Pictures from the Life of Minna Canth". TampereRaw at Stockholm Concert Hall. Photo © Ville Hautakangas Pianist Ville Hautakangas, composer Cecilia Damström, violinist Anna Angervo and cellistMaija Juuti at Stockholm Concert Hall ..read more

First of advent and the weekend of thanksgiving and so many things in the past weeks that I’m thankful of that I don’t really know how to sum it up or where to begin! (Trigger warning: a long post of thankfulness and blessings.) Thank you Lili Bogdanova-Essl and Michael Essl for wonderful three days in Berlin, one of my favourite cities in the world. Was also a great honour to be included in this year’s Klangwerkstatt Berlin on the 10th of November with my piece Groove, performed by Marianna Schürmann and Christine Paté alongside music by my colleagues Juha T. Koskinen and Tapio Tuomela. And ..read more

November is here with a sparkling variety of concerts and me trying to keep up with them! ?  This month my music is traveling to Germany, Canada, USA and different cities in Finland.  November began with a pang: an excerpt of my string orchestra piece Fretus was performed during the Nordic Council Prize Ceremony. The event was streamed live to all Nordic Countries and can be seen online under this link. The exerpt of Fretus, a piece dedicated to all the oceans of our world, is performed before and after announcing the winner of the Nordic Council En ..read more

 October is here and I would like to share this month concert, where and when my music will be performed: Sat 1st: Epitaph performed by Tuomas Turriago in Keminmaa at 8PM Sun 2nd: The German premiere of Expressionen by Trio Klangspectrum at 7PM at Hörfest Neue Musik in Detmold Tue 11th: The Danish premiere of Psychedelic by Reetamaria Rajala in at 6PM in Copenhagen Fri 21st: Piano Delirium performed by Reetamaria Rajala at 7PM at Vara Concert Hall in Sweden Thu 27th: Lucrum by Joensuu City Orchestra and Maria Itkonen @joensuunkaupunginorkesteri @mariaitkonen at 7PM at the Carelia Hall, J ..read more

Two weeks since the premiere of Wasteland with the fantastic Norrlandsoperan and superb Ville Matvejeff! Here the heart warming reviews: "The premiere of the Finnish-Swedish composer Cecilia Damström’s work Wasteland in five short movements was probably the work I was really looking forward to the most. The music was characterized by strong dynamics, shifting richness of colour and, not least, sharp contrasts. Here, the orchestral outfit is really used for a striking rhythm. With its themes around the clothing industry and greenwashing, the work also conveyed something as unusual as a sharp p ..read more

 Viljo the Rabbit 2009-2022 Last Sunday my beloved rabbit and friend Viljo died at the animal hospital surrounded by me and my parents. For some reason people always asked me (while he still was alive) if rabbits “can do anything as pets” so here follows a story about Viljo and how special he was. When I first got to know Viljo, it wasn’t “love at first sight”. My former flatmate Maija in Tampere had had him a few years earlier, given him away, and the new owner couldn't anymore have him and said they would put Viljo down if not anyone would take him, so Maija, who loves animals, asked ..read more

 This week it's time for the world premiere of Wasteland with Norrlandsoperan Symphony Orchestra and Ville Matvejeff! This 20 minute orchestra piece in five movements is the craziest piece of music I have written so far, my own "Rite of Spring". The rehearsals sounded fantastic and I can't wait for the premiere on Thursday the 1st of September! Wasteland is inspired by some very complex issues, and because complex issues can't be explained with a few words, hence long program note below: Every year an average Swede will buy 13 kilograms of clothes and throw away about 7.5 ..read more

What a day! Hearing 1300 singers premiere my “De vita nätterna” conducted by the fantastic Elisa Huovinen at this years Sång- och Musikfesten! Awesome singers, awesome location (in front of Helsinki Main Library Oodi) and awesome weather! And an amazing recording that can be found here. What more could you ask for? THANK YOU! Composer Cecilia Damström and Artistic Director Kari Turunen at Sång och Musikfesten 2022. Kari used to teach choral conducting in Tampere and I sang three years in the chamber choir Näsi that he conducted then. Through Kari I got to know so much fantastic ..read more