Sebastian Fagerlund

Composer

Sebastian Fagerlund has established himself as one of the most prominent European composers of his generation. Important aspects of Fagerlund’s work are his interest in large-scale forms and a profound view of music expressing fundamental questions and existential experiences. Works by Fagerlund have been commissioned and performed by numerous major orchestras, outstanding conductors and musicians all over the world. His output spans opera to chamber and solo works, the most significant pieces being his operas and works for orchestra. Fagerlund has been guest composer at numerous festivals around the world, such as Aspen Music Festival, and Baltic Sea Festival.

In  2011, Fagerlund was awarded Finland’s renowned Teosto Prize, one of the largest music prizes in Scandinavia, for his orchestral work Ignite. In the same year Ignite was also selected as a recommended work at the International Rostrum of Composers 2011 in Vienna. Between 2013-2019 he was artistic director of the RUSK Chamber Music Festival in Jakobstad, Finland. In the 2016/17 season, Fagerlund was appointed Composer in Residence at the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. His opera Höstsonaten (Autumn Sonata) was premiered at the Finnish National Opera as part of its 2017/18 season to great critical acclaim. The Financial Times described the opera as ‘Striking, Superb.’  In 2018, the recording of his Bassoon Concerto Mana received the BBC Music Magazine Awards in the Concerto Category.

Photo: Simon van Boxtel