Finnish composer Joel Järventausta (b. 1995) writes music praised for its vivid colours, distinctive soundworlds, and an ability to connect with audiences through delicate lyricism and contemporary expression.
Spending his childhood in Luxembourg and Germany, Järventausta completed his studies in the United Kingdom, and was awarded a PhD in Composition from King’s College London, where he studied with Sir George Benjamin and Prof. Silvina Milstein, supported by the Arts & Humanities Scholarship. Now based back in Finland, he works as a full-time freelance composer. His work has been internationally commissioned and performed by orchestras and ensembles such as London Symphony Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre national d’Île-de-France, Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Jyväskylä Sinfonia, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki Chamber Choir, Carice Singers and Uusinta Ensemble.
…clearly a composer who knows how to turn colour into sound.
Rebecca Franks – The Times (2022)
The 2025/26 season highlights include the world premiere of Fantasy for piano & orchestra with pianist Joonas Ahonen and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra under Ilan Volkov; three performances of his chamber opera Ihminen parhaan kykynsä mukaan at the Finnish National Opera; and the Dutch premiere of Bacchanale at the Concertgebouw, with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Eva Ollikainen. Several recordings also appear this season—LSO releases Suns extinguished on LSO Live; Jyväskylä Sinfonia releases Ripped Tapestry and Naava on Alba Records; and violinist Niklas Walentin with Ensemble Storstrøm release Songs, Games & Dances on Naxos.
…one of the great promises of his generation.
Vesa Sirén – Helsingin Sanomat (2025)
Recent years have brought a series of acclaimed premieres. His orchestral work Sunfall was premiered by the London Symphony Orchestra under François-Xavier Roth in 2022 and taken on tour to Germany and Denmark. Its Finnish premiere followed in 2023 with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir George Benjamin. In 2024, Järventausta’s first chamber opera Ihminen parhaan kykynsä mukaan, with a libretto by renowned Finnish author Tommi Kinnunen, received its world premiere in a string of sold-out performances featuring baritone Waltteri Torikka and actress Pihla Penttinen. The work was a co-production of Saaristo-ooppera, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra and Turku City Theater. That same year he was Composer-in-Residence at ‘I Djurs og Mols’-festival in Denmark.
His Sunfall…seemed an exceptionally assured piece of orchestral writing.
Andrew Clements – The Guardian (2022)
Järventausta’s work has been recognised with major artist grants from leading Finnish foundations, including the Alfred Kordelin Foundation and the Arts Promotion Centre Finland. In 2019, Järventausta won 1st Prize in the Île de Créations Composition Competition for Ripped Tapestry, and the 3rd Prize in the international Alexander Zemlinsky Composition Prize in the USA. He holds a Masters in Composition with Distinction from the Royal College of Music London and a BA in Music with First-Class Honours from the University of York.
Järventausta is published by Edition Wilhelm Hansen / Wise Music Classical.
Photo by © Maarit Kytöharju
JOEL JÄRVENTAUSTA 