Biography

Performances

Ahvenjärvi's compositions have been performed by the Oulu Symphony, Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg, The Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, TampereRaw, Duo Gelland, Stadler Quartett of OENM, Arctos Ensemble, Koiteli Collective and Bodø Sinfonietta among others.

Works of Ahvenjärvi have been performed in many festivals in Austria, Sweden, Finland, New Zealand, Malaysia, Faroe Islands, U.S.A., Germany, Serbia, Hungary, Russia and Switzerland, for example Stockholm New Music and Båstad Kammarmusik (Sweden), Tage für Neue Musik in Zürich (Switzerland) , Uuden Musiikin Lokakuu and Musica Nova (Finland), stART (Austria) and GegenWelten (Germany). Her portrait concerts were held in Salzburg and in Heidelberg.

Prizes, Grants and Scholarships

The symphony orchestra composition " Water", co-composed with Tapio Lappalainen, won the Teosto Prize in 2023. The work was commissioned by the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra and premiered at the Tampere Biennale 2022 Festival with Rebecca Tong as conductor.

She has got Grants from the Finnish Cultural Foundation, Music Finland, the Art Committee of Province of Oulu, the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, the Sibelius –Foundation of the Society of Finnish Composers and the Culture Ministrys of Luxembourg and Austria. Sanna Ahvenjärvi was a Composer-in-Residence in “Kommandantenhaus der Bergfeste Dilsberg” in Germany.

Memberships

• Board member of Society of Finnish Composers, 2020-

• Chair of society of contemporary music October (Nykymusiikkiseura Lokakuu), 2023-

Studies

Ahvenjärvi graduated in 2005 from Mozarteum University with Mag. Art. “Magistra der Künste” in composition, where her composition professor was Adriana Hölszky. In 2002 she graduated with the music theory diploma at the Oulu Conservatory, where her composition teacher was Vesa Valkama.

Releases

Fingers to the Bone by Sanna Ahvenjärvi was released on a CD, Duo Gelland: Violin Duos vol.4, by Nosag -recording company 2011.

An article about composition education for children and youth written by Ahvenjärvi was released in a pedagogical book “Säveltäjäksi kasvattaminen” 2013 by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture.

Teaching Experience

Since 2008 Ahvenjärvi has been teaching music theory, solfeggio and composition at the Jokilaaksot Music Institute. She has has held composition workshops and worked as an instructor in the field of composition education for children and youth in over 20 music institutes across Finland, e.g. Sibelius-Academy, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Tampere University of Applied Sciences and University of Oulu. She has worked also as an instructor in seminars in the Association of Finnish Music Schools, FiSME, Nordic Music Days and the Mutes ry.

More detailed information about her pedagogical work can be read from the ”Composition pedagogy” -page.