Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho passed away at her residence in Paris on Friday at the age of 70 due to brain cancer.

Saariaho was a revered figure in the realm of music composition, and her demise deeply affected the global community of contemporary classical music.

Born in Helsinki in 1952, Saariaho received her education at the Sibelius Academy in the same city before pursuing further studies in Freiburg, Germany. In 1982, she made Paris her permanent home, where she resided until the end of her life.

Following Saariaho's passing, numerous international news outlets, including the BBC and the New York Times, published obituaries honoring her legacy.

Peter Sellars, a US theatre director, remarked to the New York Times, "Kaija [Saariaho] brought forth a feminine voice that was previously unheard of. She literally expanded the boundaries of classical music, opening up a whole new world."

The New York Times also highlighted Saariaho's innovation in incorporating new and, at times, electronic elements into modernist music. She achieved the remarkable distinction of being the first female composer to have two operas performed at the prestigious Metropolitan Opera House in New York City.

Throughout her life, Saariaho garnered numerous accolades in the field of music, including a Grammy Award in 2011 for her opera L'amour de loin, the Polar Music Prize in 2013, and the Nordic Council Music Prize in 2000. In a 2019 poll conducted by BBC Music Magazine, she was hailed as the greatest contemporary composer of our time.