Ääniä Finland’s Official Soundscape

 

Finland is the first country in the world to create an official national soundscape. Lauri Porra composed it to reflect the uniqueness of this Nordic nation. Ääniä, which means “sounds” or “voices” in Finnish, started out as a passion project for Porra and gradually expanded into a musical journey exploring the sounds, spaces, people and places that make Finland distinctive.

Born out of a longing to convey the splendour of Finland and transcend borders in the process, Ääniä is the perfect backdrop for creating Finnish moments of peace, calm and connection.

Would you like to know more? On This is Finland, you can read the origin story behind Ääniä and watch Lauri Porra talk about what inspired him to compose it.

Ääniä: Finland’s Official Soundscape is commissioned by the Finland Promotion Board and Paula Parviainen, Ambassador for Culture and Creative Industries at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.

Composer: Lauri Porra

Musicians: Kasmir Uusitupa, violin; Maija Linkola, violin; Vuokko Lahtinen, viola; Petja Kainulainen, cello; Antti Kujanpää, piano; Aili Järvelä, pump organ; Eija Kankaanranta, kantele; Verneri Pohjola, trumpet; Miika Jämsä, tuba; Claire Chase, contrabass flute; Pekka Niskanen, bass clarinet; Áron Mojzer, bassoon; Sampo Kuusisto, marimba; Samuli Kosminen, percussion; Pete Korpela, percussion; Timo Kämäräinen, acoustic guitar; Lauri Porra, bass, guitar and additional instruments

Mikko Raita, mixing, recording, editing; Joonas Kaartti, editing; Juha-Matti Varvikko, recording assistant; Lauri Porra, producer; Meira Pappi, executive producer

 

Finnish composer, musician and curator Lauri Porra (born in 1977) has carved out a distinctive space in the world of music, bridging classical music and rock and pop. He has collaborated with prestigious ensembles such as the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Finnish National Opera. His musical heritage has deep roots: He is a fourth-generation professional musician and his great-grandfather was the iconic Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. Porra’s diverse discography covers a broad range, from film music for the vastly popular Stormskerry Maja to his latest work, Matter and Time, which features Stephen Fry as the narrator. Porra is also the audio supervisor and created the audio identity of Moomin Characters Ltd (the company that oversees the rights to the world-famous characters invented by Finnish author and artist Tove Jansson).

In addition to his prolific work as a composer, Porra is known as the bassist for the Finnish metal band Stratovarius. He is also the artistic director of Vantaa Orchestra, Finland’s largest symphony orchestra devoted to popular music. He and his wife, conductor Dalia Stasevska, cofounded Unelmien Heinola, a festival in the southern Finnish town of Heinola. From 2025 to 2027, Porra will serve as the artistic director of Turku Music Festival in the southwestern Finnish city of Turku.

 

Ääniä: Finland’s Official Soundscape is a free resource for non-commercial use. This might include cultural events, educational purposes, personal enjoyment and other functions. It can be used to create short periods of meditation or restoration during a busy conference program, or perhaps serve as a soundtrack for a yoga session, or simply help provide peace and balance in stressful environments – your imagination is the limit. Please remember to credit the composer Lauri Porra and mention Ääniä: Finland’s Official Soundscape whenever you use the music.

If you are a Finnish company looking to use Ääniä, please contact FinlandPromotionBoard@finland.fi.

 

For interviews, please contact FinlandPromotionBoard@finland.fi.

Photo and video credit: Markku Pajunen

Please remember to credit the composer Lauri Porra and mention Ääniä: Finland’s Official Soundscape whenever you use the music.

Press Release (pdf)