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Sound art, electronics, folk and jazz overlap and interact on three DIY/experimental albums: Béke by Oiro Pena, Touch This Fragrant Surface of Earth by Marja Ahti and A Few We Remember by Jonah Parzen-Johnson and Lau Nau.

The WOMEX opening concert in Tampere showcased Finland’s musical diversity from folk revival harmonies and Sami joiks to experimental accordion soundscapes and theatrical vocal magic. This is the 31st edition of WOMEX, with delegates from more than 100 countries. Last year it was held in Manchester, UK, and this year it returned to Tampere, the ‘Manchester of the North,’ where was previously held in 2019.

Anniversaries invite both celebration and self-reflection. While they highlight continuity and achievement, they also prompt us to ask what and who we choose to recognise. In its anniversary year, FMQ celebrates others marking milestones, while also questioning the very nature of commemoration in the music world.

Every year brings round-number anniversaries that invite us to look back and listen anew. In Finland’s musical calendar, 2025 is rich with milestones from national icons to contemporary innovators. This playlist celebrates some of the composers, performers and institutions marking their special years.

Approaching his 90th birthday, Juhani ‘Junnu’ Aaltonen still radiates a disarming freshness that belies his age. Over a career spanning six decades, he has appeared on more than 3,500 recordings, worked with leading names and inspired a new generation of musicians.

Jean Sibelius’s incidental music is attracting growing interest. It was also the theme of the international Sibelius Congress in Hämeenlinna in early September. Erkki Salmenhaara’s article originally appeared in issue 1993/4.

An evening at Helsinki’s Kaapelitehdas (Cable Factory) unfolded as more than a concert. Juhani Nuorvala guided us through a kaleidoscope of sound. Charlie Morrow writes as Corno di Bassettino in the style of George Bernard Shaw’s nom de plume, Corno di Bassetto.

Round-numbered anniversaries of composers and institutions offer an invaluable uplift amid the harsh competition for attention, but organisers and musicians should always be aware of the motivations behind celebrations and what they seek to promote.

What is the difference between a demonstration and an opera performance? The question arose as I sat in Helsinki’s Kansalaistori (Citizens’ Square) watching an opera performance and a demonstration vying to be heard.