A Shared Wavelength: Composer Asta Hyvärinen Collaborates with Elefantöra

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Hi Asta! Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background as a composer?

I was born in northern Ostrobothnia, Finland, and from an early age I was drawn to both visual arts and music. I started with mandolin, then moved on to drums, guitar, and bass. In the mid-80s, I studied at Oulunkylä Pop/Jazz Music School in Helsinki before transitioning to contemporary and classical music. I’ve been a full-time composer since 2000, and a member of The Society of Finnish Composers since 1998.

How did your collaboration with Elefantöra begin?

I saw them perform in Glasgow and was completely fascinated. After the concert, I approached them and said, half-jokingly, “By the way, I’ve got a nice piece for you.” I handed over my business card, not expecting anything—but later that same day, I received an email from Jan. And here we are!

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What has the process looked like so far?

We’ve had two online sessions and Elefantöra also recorded several takes of Interstellar with a sound engineer. On May 12, we finally met in Gothenburg for a full-day studio session hosted by ShareMusic. It was both inspiring and instructive—I gained a better understanding of how Elefantöra works creatively and how I can support that process. And honestly, we had a lot of fun!

What are you most looking forward to with this project?

I’m really looking forward to hearing Interstellar performed live one day. But beyond that, I hope this is just the beginning. I’d love for this collaboration to grow into something long-term.

What does working with Elefantöra mean to you?

It’s exciting and refreshing. Most of my electroacoustic pieces have been created with the same ensembles and engineers. Elefantöra works without classical instruments, which forces me to rethink how I describe pitch, sound, and structure—and maybe even rethink music itself.

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