Yesterday we learned the very sad news of the death of Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho at the age of 70. Saariaho blossomed as a unique voice in 20^th and 21^st-century classical music, her music notable for its picturesque qualities and colourful, often exotic instrumentation.

Thankfully a good deal of her work has been recorded by the ever-enterprising Ondine Records, who put this playlist together in celebration of her 70^th birthday earlier in the year:

Meanwhile you can watch Vista, one of Saariaho’s most striking recent orchestral works, in the performance below with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Susanna Mälkki