Pehr Henrik Nordgren

Living in the small village of Kaustinen during the last 35 years of his life, Pehr Henrik Nordgren was somewhat of an outsider in Finnish musical life. His music draws influences from both western and eastern traditions - he studied in Japan from 1970 to 1973 with Yoshio Hasegawa and became acquainted with traditional Japanese music. Nordgren's oeuvre includes eight symphonies, several concertos, as well as eleven string quartets. His musical style has been acclaimed for its personal voice and emotional expressiveness; Nordgren considered music as a mode of communication with fellow men. In 1998 he received the prize of Finnish Cultural Foundation, in 1999 Pro Finlandia Medal, and in 2006 the cultural prize of the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland.