Wessman, Harri (1949–)

Harri Wessman was born in Helsinki, Finland, in 1949. As a composer he is interested in all aspects of music that may be expressive, without in any way ignoring the possibilities of melody. He himself describes his harmonic method as a kind of contrapuntally treated jazz harmony. Wessman is particularly preoccupied with the ability of music to express emotions, an interest which has led him to study the doctrine of the affections and the musical rhetoric of the Baroque era. His output is dominated by chamber and vocal music as well as a number of concertos for various instruments, with an emphasis on creating repertoire for budding musicians, from beginners to young professionals.