Marja Mutru (piano) received her Master's degree in piano performance from Sibelius Academy in her native Finland. During her studies and after graduating she worked as a staff accompanist at the Academy, and she also frequently worked in association with the leading Finnish symphony orchestras and the Finnish National Opera. Focusing on ensemble music and opera led her to participate in the European premiere of John Adams' opera I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw The Sky which toured festivals in Scotland, Finland, Germany and France. She later recorded the piece with the ensemble Avanti! on Nonesuch Records. After moving to the San Francisco Bay Area she has been working with local ensembles including Kronos Quartet, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players and California Symphony performing and recording mostly contemporary repertoire. She regularly plays with Paul Dresher Ensemble premiering new pieces by composers such as Terry Riley, Anthony Davis, John Luther Adams, Paul Dresher, Lois Vierk, Martin Bresnick, Mark Grey, Randall Wolfe and Steve Mackey, whose opera Ravenshead she has toured extensively with in U.S. She recently performed and recorded two chamber operas by Erling Wold, A Little Girl Dreams of Taking The Veil and Queer, as well as his piece Albrech's Flügel for solo piano. She also plays harmonium with Kronos Quartet on their album Early Music.
[from program for November 12, 2001 concert]