Kaija Saariaho (1952–2023)

The Met mourns the loss of eminent Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho, who recently passed away at age 70. Saariaho made Met history in 2016 with the company premiere of her L’Amour de Loin, which was, at the time, the first opera by a female composer to be presented on the Met stage in more than a century. Her most recent opera, Innocence, premiered at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence in July 2021 and earned Saariaho a Victoires de la Musique Classique award. Innocence will have its Met premiere as part of the 2025–26 season. The Met sends its deepest condolences to Saariaho’s family, friends, and devoted admirers worldwide.