Finnish Composer Kaija Saariaho Passes Away at 70

Kaija Saariaho, a Finnish composer known for bringing new and mysterious colors to classical music, has died at the age of 70. She was the first woman to have more than one work staged by the Metropolitan Opera and was a pioneer in using electronics in classical music. Her first opera, "L'Amour de Loin," won the Grawemeyer Award for music composition, and her most recent work, "Innocence," will travel to the Met in the 2025-26 season. Saariaho was a trailblazer in a male-dominated field and helped to correct the gender imbalance in classical music.