Eetu Ranta-aho

I am a Finnish composer, based in Finland and Japan. My artistic practice has been shaped by studies and musical encounters in Finland, Japan, Ghana, and Malaysia, as well as several years of performing and studying Javanese gamelan.

I am fascinated by the relationship between notation and performance, and by musical knowledge that cannot be fully captured on the page. I leave room for interpretation, inviting performers to actively shape the music through their intuition. Inspiration from obscure and ambiguous historical materials, intercultural music making, and unusual performance practices have all led me to similar questions about how music is learned and brought to life by performers.

My work is generously supported by a two-year working grant from the Kone Foundation (2026–2028).

Current and upcoming projects (highlights)

• Solo work for cellist Senja Rummukainen
  A contemporary reflection on rarely heard solo gamba works by Sainte-Colombe. The work is intended to be performed alongside my own cello arrangements of the original pieces.
• Song cycle for soprano Anu Komsi and chamber orchestra
  A large-scale work based on Japanese summer poetry, spanning more than eight centuries from the Shinkokinwakashū (13th century) to Chūya Nakahara (20th century) and contemporary poems written by school children.
• Mystery Box
  A concept work exploring interpretation and uncertainty, with mystery and joy of discovery in its core. Performers encounter a physical box, a gift, for the first time during the performance itself. The project will be developed in collaboration with guitarist Petri Kumela and the Saxtronauts saxophone quartet.

Highlights of previous works

Nemuru Otoko
Nemuru Otoko is a 90-minute Japanese-language opera composed to a libretto by Japanese manga artist Riyoko Ikeda. The work was premiered at the Helsinki Contemporary Opera Festival in August 2021 and received six performances in total. The production was met with critical acclaim and remains my largest work to date.

9 Teika songs
9 Teika Songs is a 30-minute song cycle for soprano and orchestra based on poems by the Japanese poet Fujiwara no Teika (1162–1241). The work was premiered at Tokyo College of Music in 2017 and has since received further performances in Norway and Finland, including versions for soprano and piano.

My works have been performed by ensembles and musicians including Avanti!, Uusinta Ensemble, Zagros Ensemble, Kaartin Soittokunta, J-TRAD Ensemble MAHOROBA, Ensemble Olga, Ensemble Falke, Bergen Youth Philharmonic, Tuuli Lindeberg, Piia Komsi, and Petri Kumela.

Teacher
In addition to my work as a composer, I am active as a teacher and lecturer. I hold a lectureship at the Vantaa Music Institute in Finland, where I teach composition, solfège, and music theory. I have also been invited to give guest lectures on my music and compositional practice at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and Tokai University in Japan.

My work has been generously supported by:
Teosto Cultural Foundation
The Finnish Cultural Foundation
Kone Foundation
The Finnish Music Foundation
The Scandinavia-Japan Sasakawa Foundation
The Finnish-Japanese Society
Wegelius Foundation
Finnish Composer’s Sibelius Fund
Madetoja Fund
Music Finland
Paulo Foundation