Bio

Olli Moilanen is a Finnish composer whose music is driven by powerful states of mind and body: sensations, impulses, visions. He begins with hints and intuition, following weak signals toward something he could not have imagined in advance. Literature is a frequent source of inspiration, as are the other arts. His compositional methods draw on mathematics, including number sequences and fractal structures, self-repeating forms found throughout nature in plants, rivers and blood vessels, which he uses to map out temporal frameworks and layer music within them. At the heart of his work is a fascination with perception: how experience accumulates in layers, and how the boundaries between rational structure and felt sensation dissolve in sound.

His works have been performed widely in Finland and internationally at festivals and venues such as the ISCM World New Music Days, Time of Music Festival (FI), Nordic Music Days, Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival (FI), NeoArte (PL), the Mostly Modern Festival (NY), Brand Neu Orgelsommer Kassel (GE) and resonanzraum Hamburg (GE). Moilanen’s music is commissioned and performed by leading Nordic ensembles and festivals, including Time of Music Festival, Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki Chamber Choir and Uusinta Ensemble.

Among his current large-scale projects is an accordion concerto for Veli Kujala and the Lapland Chamber Orchestra, to be premiered in the 2026–2027 season under the baton of John Storgårds. Upcoming works also include a song cycle for soprano Tuuli Lindeberg and string quartet for the Time of Music Festival, and a staged work created together with director Aleksi Barrière (2028-2029), exploring the boundaries of science, rationality and human experience. In addition, Zagros Ensemble will present a profile concert dedicated to Moilanen’s chamber music, featuring a new work for septet (2028).

International collaboration plays an increasing role in Moilanen’s work. In 2025 he gave a lecture in Japanese on his music in Tokyo at the invitation of conductor Yuri Nitta. The visit coincided with the Japanese premiere tour of his work Häikäisy for bass flute and kantele, performed by flutist Camilla Hoitenga and kantele artist Eija Kankaanranta.

Alongside concert music, Moilanen develops interdisciplinary projects combining text, installation and improvisation. Since 2024 he has curated and composed for Seikka, a multidisciplinary performance series commissioned by the Association of Young Writers (FI) and presented at the Runokuu (Poetry Month) Festival. Seikka II (2025), created together with multidisciplinary artist Priss Niinikoski, featured a handcrafted paper speaker installation and an installation concert bringing together poets, harp, electronics in an experimental performance.

Moilanen’s work has been supported by major Finnish cultural foundations including the Kone Foundation, the Finnish Cultural Foundation and the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation.