BIO

Picture of Sauli Zinovjev walking on a street.

Sauli Zinovjev is a Finnish composer of contemporary classical music whose work is defined by its emotional depth and immersive orchestral soundscapes. At the heart of Zinovjev’s music lies a commitment to expressivity—he writes the kind of music that first drew him to composition, rich in feeling and resonance.

His compositions, described as “brisk, exciting and unpredictable” (The Wall Street Journal), have captivated audiences and performers alike, leading to collaborations with some of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouworkest, Munich Philharmonic, and Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra.

Zinovjev’s recent works include the percussion concerto A Savage Beat, written for virtuoso percussionist Vivi Vassileva, and a Piano Concerto composed for acclaimed pianist Víkingur Ólafsson. Zinovjev's music has been championed by musicians such as Klaus Mäkelä, Hannu Lintu, Pekka Kuusisto, Hugo Ticciati, Gustavo Gimeno, Dalia Stasevska, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Dirk Kaftan, Sakari Oramo and Eivind Gulberg-Jenssen.

The 2025–2026 concert season marks a significant milestone in Zinovjev’s career, with five major orchestral premieres. Highlights of the season include the premiere of Tarpeeton Pyyhitään Yli (Erasure), an orchestral song cycle set to the poetry of Mirkka Rekola, performed by soprano Helena Juntunen and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra under Jukka-Pekka Saraste. His new orchestral work Fade Out, conducted by Hannu Lintu, opens Zinovjev’s two-year residency with the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, which continues with the Finnish premiere of A Savage Beat.

On 10th October 2025, Zinovjev’s second violin concerto World Bearer, written for Sibelius Violin Competition winner Nikita Boriso-Glebsky, will premiere with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra under Elim Chan. In early 2026, his first symphony Taste of Metal will be unveiled by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Hannu Lintu, and subsequently performed by the Oslo Philharmonic and Orchestre de Paris, conducted by Osmo Vänskä and Klaus Mäkelä respectively. The season culminates with the premiere of his Clarinet Concerto, written for Nicolas Baldeyrou and performed by the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France under François Leleux.

Zinovjev attended the Sibelius Academy and currently lives in Helsinki, Finland.

"Parhaimmillaan teoksessa on kaikki. Yhdessä hetkessä koko elämä. Niin uskoo säveltäjä Sauli Zinovjev (1988).

Valmistuttuaan Sibelius-Akatemiasta musiikin maisteriksi Zinovjev on toiminut vapaana taiteilijana ja hänen viimeaikainen tuotantonsa on keskittynyt lähinnä orkesterimusiikkiin. Zinovjevin musiikkia ovat esittäneet ja tilanneet mm. Chicagon Sinfoniaorkesteri, Amsterdamin Kuninkaallinen Concertgebouworkesteri, Munchenin Filharmoonikot, Tokion Metropolitan Orkesteri, Oslo Filharmonia, Göteborgin Sinfoniaorkesteri, Helsingin Kaupunginorkesteri, Suomen ja Ruotsin Radion Sinfoniaorkesterit, Bambergin Sinfonikot, Lausannen Kamariorkesteri, Tapiola ja Kymi Sinfoniettat ja muut tärkeimmät Suomalaiset kaupunginorkesterit kuten Tampereen, Turun, Lahden, Oulun, Jyväskylän ja Kuopion Kaupunginorkesterit yhteistyössä eturivin muusikkojen kuten Klaus Mäkelän, Sakari Oramon, Jukka-Pekka Sarasteen ja Pekka Kuusiston kanssa. Zinovjevin tuotantoon lukeutuu mm. Helsingin Kaupunginorkesterin, Oslo Filharmonian ja Orchestre De Parisin tilaama sinfonia Taste of Metal (2024) sekä Suomen ja Ruotsin Radion Sinfoniaorkesterien tilaama Pianokonsertto (2019) pianisti Vikingur Olafssonille.

Zinovjev säveltää musiikkia, joka välittää suuria tunnetiloja. Sellainen musiikki teki hänestä myös säveltäjän. Vielä 16-vuotiaana Zinovjev soitti rokkibändissä, treenasi kitaraa ja skeittasi. Sitten hän näki netistä pätkän György Cziffrasta soittamassa Lisztiä.

”Kuin seinältä olisi revitty tapetti pois ja sen takaa olisi paljastunut ikkuna, josta näkee avaran maiseman. Virtuoosimaisuus ja hurma tekivät minuun fanaattisen vaikutuksen.
Ja se miten yhteen hetkeen saa puristettua niin suuren taidemäärän, elämän koko kirjon.”

Zinovjev haluaa klassisen musiikin kautta tuoda maailmanjärjestyksensä ymmärrettävään muotoon.
Välittää sen – koko elämän – muille."

Anna-Kaari Hakkarainen

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Highlights

2024-

A new wave of commissioned works such as a symphony Taste of Metal (2024) commissioned by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic and Orchestre de Paris and a Percussion Concerto "A Savage Beat" (2024) for percussionist Vivi Vassileva commissioned by the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, Luxemburg Philharmonie and Wiener Konzerthaus.

US debut with Batteria with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Klaus Mäkelä.

Working grants by Finnish Arts Promotion Center (TAIKE).

2020-2023

World premieres of orchestral scores an adagio (2022), and Double Concerto (2022), Hit & Run (2021), Wiegenlied (2020) and Piano Concerto (2019) for Vikingur Olafsson. Debuts with orchestras such as the Oslo Filharmonien and Munchen Philharmonic, Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra and the Royal Concertgebouw orchestra with Batteria conducted by Klaus Mäkelä.

Bavarian Ministery of Culture's Stipendium to the International House of Artist Villa Concordia in Bamberg, Germany.

Working grants by Finnish Arts Promotion Center (TAIKE) and Wihuri's Foundation.

An exclusive, worldwide publishing agreement with the Birdsong Music Publishing by HarrisonParrott.

2015-2020

World premieres of orchestral scores Un Grande Sospiro (2018), Violin Concerto "Der Leiermann" (2017) for Pekka Kuusisto, "Die Welt - ein Tor" (2017) for Sirja Nironen and Batteria (2016) . Debuts with orchestras such as the Bamberger Symfoniker, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Working grants by Finnish Cultural Foundation and Finnish Arts Promotion Center (TAIKE). Composer-in-residence at the 60th Turku Music Festival, 2019, Guest composer at the RUSK Festival 2017.

2010-2015

Studies at the Sibelius-Academy and Hfm-Karlsruhe under guidance of Tapio Nevanlinna and prof. Wolfgang Rihm. The success of Gryf (2013) in the 3rd International Uuno Klami Composition Competition launches the first wave of commissions.