Valoa kohti (Towards the Light)

In summer 2020 the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie asked me to write a fanfare for brass ensemble for their opening concert of the season, taking place in the following September in Saarbrücken. I decided to call this fanfare Valoa kohti - Towards the Light. In these turbulent and unusual times, that have presented quite many challenges also to our music world, it was my aim to write something uplifting and positive. In Beethoven’s music one can quite often find something, that could be described as a struggle through chaos and darkness towards light. Even, if in this case, the musical language turns out to be quite different, it is this very Beethovenian idea, that has been my inspiration and guiding light, when writing my fanfare. (Olli Mustonen)