Kaija Saariaho: III. Love from Afar

To date, Kaija has written four operas, each with a strong, female protagonist. She has a clear voice for feminism and femininity, and her work doesn’t pull punches. In a recent speech at McGill University, Kaija said, “Today, thirty years after my own battles, young women still have to experience much the same every day discrimination I went through.” She uses her art to explore these ideas and in fact to explore her own reactions to life and love. More than anything else, Kaija’s music is intimate, personal and raw. She writes honestly, and that makes her work beautiful.