Vainio, Jennah

(*1972)

Jennah Vainio (born 1972) studied composition at the Helsinki University and at the Sibelius Academy. She has also participated in master courses by Magnus LindbergJouni KaipainenBrian FerneyhoughOlli Kortekangas and Sven-David Sandström. Her pieces have been performed both home and abroad and they have been broadcast on radio.

Most of Vainio’s pieces have been written on commissions. Orchestras, choirs and ensembles that have performed her pieces include the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, the Norrkoping Symphony Orchestra, the Ensemble Fusions, the Nordlys Ensemble, the Zagros Ensemble, the Mikkeli City Orchestra, the Finnish Radio Chamber Choir and the UMO Jazz Orchestra. Her works have been  recorded by Pilfink and Alba Records.

Vainio’s Beatbox Concerto ‘Fujiko’s Fairy Tale’ has been performed close to 20 times, mostly in the USA, where the beatboxer Shodekeh added it to his repertore and has performed it e.g. with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra conducted by Marin Alsop. The work draws influences from Oriental music, hip hop, dance, video games and the world of Manga and Anime.

Other works published by Fennica Gehrman include Winterborn for chamber orchestra, Frozen Liquid for string orchestra, At Midnight for SSAA choir and Driven for guitar. Vainio’s work list includes also several chamber music works such as Diesel Rhythm Canticle for flute, clarinet and guitar, End Credits for string trio and Odin’s Beard for wind quintet. Vainio’s orchestral Sylvia’s Lullaby  was premiered in 2023 by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. It was commissioned as part of the Helsinki Variations series for which works were commissioned from 12 Finnish composers.

As a composer, Vainio feels that it is important to be versatile stylistically. Besides classical music she is known for her passion for metal and its sub genres. A guitarist herself, her first influences included the neoclassical metal guitarists Yngwie Malmsteen and Jason Becker.

Ablaze

(1998-99)

for chamber orchestra

1111-0110-02-pf-str(min.10111)

Duration: 10

Beatbox Concerto (Version for string orchestra)

Fujiko's Fairy Tale (2009-2010)

for beatboxer and string orchestra

str(min.43221)

Duration: 20

Beatbox Concerto (Version for symphony orchestra)

Fujiko's Fairy Tale (2009-10/2021-22)

for beatboxer and orchestra

2222-2200-11-str(min.86543) Percussion: Suspended cymbal, Tamtam, Crotales, Triangle, Wind chimes, Sleigh bells, Flexatone (also with bow)

Duration: 16

Frozen Liquid

for string orchestra (2001)

str(min.43221)

Duration: 9

Sylvia's Lullaby

Symphonic Poem - Helsinki Variations (2023)

for orchestra

3(III=picc)23(III=bcl)2-222(II=btrb)1-13-2hp-str Percussion:

Duration: 10

Winterborn

for chamber ensemble

11(+ca)11-1000-str(11111)

Duration: 12

Les perles de Pluie – Song for Larissa (Pia Korteala, piano)
Beatbox Concerto ‘Fujiko’s Fairy Tale’ (YouTube/Baltimore SO/Marin Alsop, sol. Shodekeh)