b. October 14, 1952 in Helsinki (Finland)

Studies

- visual arts at the University of Industrial Arts Helsinki (UIAH) before going to study composition
- Sibelius Academy 1976–1981: composition (teacher: Paavo Heininen)
- Musikhochschule in Freiburg 1981–1982: composition (teachers: Brian Ferneyhough and Klaus Huber)
- diploma in 1982 (Freiburg)
- in 1982 courses in computer music at Ircam, Paris

Awards and Prizes

- Kranichsteiner Musikpreis (Darmstadt) 1986
- Prix Italia 1988 (Stilleben)
- Ars Electronica prize 1989 (Stilleben and Io)
- Chevalier à l'ordre des Arts et Lettres 1997 (France)
- Elsie Stoeger Prize (The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, New York) 1999
- The Nordic Music Prize 2000 (Lonh)
- Académie Charles Cros, France: Grand Prix Multimédia 2000 (CD-Rom Prisma)
- Finnish Broadcasting Company: Record of the Year 2000 (From the Grammar of Dreams, ODE 958-2)
- Rolf Schock Prize (Sweden) 2001
- Christoph und Stephan Kaske-Stiftung (Carl von Siemens Stiftung) (Germany) 2001
- Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition 2003 (Grawemeyer Foundation, University of Louisville) (L'Amour de loin) 2002
- Artist Professor (Finland) 2005-2009
- Pro Finlandia Medal of the Order of the Lion of Finland 2005
- Composer of the Year by Musica America 2008

Kaija Saariaho has been living and working in Paris since 1982.