Tero Saarinen & Kaija Saariaho: Study for Life
-
6 performances
28.2-7.3.2026
-
Duration
80 min
-
Venue
Erkko Hall
-
Tickets
81–18 €
Show times
sat 28.2. at 19
tue 3.3. at 19
wed 4.3. at 19
thu 5.3. at 19
fri 6.3. at 19
sat 7.3. at 15
Caution
Strong flashing lights
In addition
Artist-talk after the performance on 3.3. & 5.3.
Introduction
Tero Saarinen’s new creation delves into the music of Kaija Saariaho. In Study for Life, TSC dancers, musicians of the Amsterdam based Het Muziek ensemble, soprano Raquel Camarinha, and Tuomas Norvio’s sound design interweaving Saariaho’s compositions, bring her nuanced and delicate world to life. This work confronts the contemporary human desire to be moved and envelops the spectator in a powerful sensory experience.
Choreographer's note
"We had been planning a collaborative work with Kaija Saariaho for years. In spring 2023, at Kaija’s request, it was decided that the musical arc of the piece would be built around her first stage work Study for Life. The early work is based on T.S. Eliot’s poem The Hollow Men (1925), which, with its depiction of emotional numbness, disconnection and anti-war themes, remains profoundly relevant even a hundred years after its publication.
Attuning and becoming sensitive to the non-verbal messages of life is something that unites all of us involved in this work. By allowing new sounds and forms to emerge, we can saturate our being with ever more diverse colors. Kaija offered us the opportunity to hear something new, to sense sounds in a new way, and with Study for Life, we wanted to answer this invitation and offer an alternative, multi-artistic entry point into her world.” – Tero Saarinen
About the creation
Study for Life revolves around the desire for connection in a fragmented world, both in relation to others and to ourselves. Beginning from a dystopian and solitary landscape, the multidisciplinary piece gradually travels towards hope and a richer sensory spectrum.
Blending elements of a dance piece, concert and sound installation, the work immerses and merges them into one synesthetic experience. With the audience seated in a 360-degree arrangement around the stage, the creation invites the audience to physically enter Saariaho’s textured musical world. Connections with others are formed and unraveled as both dancers and musicians share the space, moving and gliding through the shifting currents of light.
In total, the evening includes four of Saariaho’s early compositions: Study for Life (1980), Petals (1988), Lichtbogen (1986), Attente and Parfum de l’instant (2002, from Quatre Instants). The four compositions are connected with Tuomas Norvio’s electronic music and sound design. Study for Life is a collaboration with Amsterdam-based Het Muziek (previously named Asko|Schönberg) ensemble. The scenography is by Fabiana Piccioli, Sander Loonen, and costume designer Erika Turunen.
Before the performance, audiences can experience an introductory sound installation To Water by Tuomas Norvio in the audience foyer. The sound installation features a melting block of ice, and the manipulated sounds of it dripping and cracking spread through the space, offering an entry point into the world and themes of the piece. The installation is supported by Genelec. (link to genelec’s website)
The world premiere took place at Holland Festival in June 2025, followed by performances at Bregenzer Festspiele in July. The performance season at Dance House Helsinki will mark the creation’s Finnish premiere. The 360-degree seating structure will transform the Erkko Hall into an entirely new spatial experience, bringing the performance at times within almost tangible reach. Find more information about the ticket types and seating structure here.
Organizer: Tero Saarinen Company
With this production, Tero Saarinen succeeded in making the essence of Kaija Saariaho’s musical voice both visible and tangible. This was not simple entertainment, but a demanding, thought-provoking experience that lingered long afterward. Study for Life proved to be a powerful tribute to Saariaho’s singular artistic voice — an intense, atmospherically rich Gesamtkunstwerk that both unsettled and fascinated, and ultimately stood as a worthy monument.
–Vorarlberger Nachrichten (Austria), 1 August 2025
Together with [sound designer Tuomas] Norvio, costume, lighting and set designers Erika Turunen, Fabiana Piccioli, and Sander Loonen, Saarinen has created a compelling way to make the synesthetic world of Saariaho – known for blending sensory perceptions – concretely experienceable. The Austrian premiere of Study for Life – met with enthusiastic applause by the Bregenz audience – proved to be a genre fusion at its finest.
–APA News Service, Christa Dietrich (Austria), 31 July 2025
This outright phenomenal performance is certainly more than a contemporary dance piece. - - It’s astonishing how well everything fuses here – music, dance, lighting, and space work together to tell the story. Truly magical.
–Niuwe Noten, Ben Taffijn (The Netherlands), 26 June 2025
Ticket information
Ticket sales are managed by Tero Saarinen Company. For all ticketing enquiries, please contact tickets@terosaarinen.com.
Early bird-prices (until 31.12.2025) | A 81 € – B 63 € – C 59 €
Standard Ticket (from 1 Jan 2026) | Category A: 86 €, Category B: 68 €, Category C: 64 €, Restricted view ticket: 18 €
Discount Ticket | B 38 € – C 36 € (Under 25s, students, unemployed, civil and military service personnel)
Pensioners | A 83 € – B 65 € – C 61 €
Group Ticket | A 83 € – B 65 € – C 61 €
Professional Ticket | Dance and theatre professionals can purchase tickets at approximately 40% discount from the Cable Factory’s Glass Courtyard ticket sales point or online. The discount is personal and entitles the holder to one discounted ticket. Professional tickets can be purchased in any price category.
Study for Life transforms the Erkko Hall into a completely new kind of stage environment, where the traditional auditorium structure is not in use. In this production, the stage is placed at the center of the space, and the performance is designed to be experienced from the surrounding floor-level seating.
The floor-level audience area encircling the stage is divided into seven ascending seating sections, labeled A–G. Each section offers an excellent view of the performance from a unique perspective. In addition to the floor seating, a limited number of more affordable, restricted-view seats are available in the balcony.
You can find a seating map, ticket prices, and more information about possible visibility restrictions on Tero Saarinen Company’s website.
Credits
Production
Tero Saarinen Company in collaboration with Het Muziek.
Co-production: Holland Festival & Bregenzer Festspiele
Creative team
Choreography & concept: Tero Saarinen
Music: Kaija Saariaho
Sound design and soundscapes: Tuomas Norvio
Lighting design: Fabiana Piccioli & Sander Loonen
Costume design: Erika Turunen
Set design: Erika Turunen, Fabiana Piccioli & Sander Loonen
Orchestration (Attente): Vasco Mendonça
Choreographer’s assistants: Satu Halttunen, Natasha Lommi
Soprano: Raquel Camarinha
Dance (6 on stage): Jenna Broas, Elina Häyrynen, Olli Lautiola, Anette Toiviainen, David Scarantino, JingYi Wang, Oskari Kymäläinen, Mikko Lampinen (understudy), Emmi Pennanen (understudy)
Live music, Het Muziek: Ingrid Geerlings (flute +piccolo/afl), Pauline Post (pianoforte), Joey Marijs (percussion), Astrid Haring (harp), Joseph Puglia (violin 1), Marijke van Kooten (violin 2), Liesbeth Steffens (viola), Sebastiaan van Halsema (cello), Jordi Carrasco Hjelm (double bass)
