Innovative Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho dies at 70, leaving behind a luminous musical legacy.

Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho, known for her ethereal lyricism and sonic complexity, has died at the age of 70 from glioblastoma. Her music was admired by professional musicians and increasingly popular with the general public. She wrote a dozen lengthy works for orchestra, chamber music, vocal works, and five full-length operas. Her last piece, a trumpet concerto titled “Hush,” is scheduled to premiere in Helsinki in August. In 2016, she became the first woman to have a work staged by the Metropolitan Opera since 1903.