Songwriter-Composer Kaija Saariaho Cause of Death: Famed Composer Dead at 70

Famed composer Kaija Saariaho had died at the age of 70, her official Facebook page confirmed.

Saariaho, one of the most prominent composers of the 21^st century, died at her Paris apartment Friday. Her family penned the statement in which it also revealed her cause of death.

Kaija Saariaho Cause of Death Revealed

According to the Facebook post, the composer died "peacefully" in her sleep but noted that she passed away over two years after she was diagnosed with an incurable, aggressive type of brain cancer called glioblastoma.

"With characteristically strong determination, she fought daily to both slow its growth and live fully," the family said. "The multiplying tumors did not affect her cognitive facilities until the terminal phase of her illness; they were located in the area controlling her motor skills on the right side of her body."

As a result, Saariaho reportedly struggled to walk and talk, and her condition led her to suffer from falls and broken bones. Amid her serious health battle, the composer kept her battle private to maintain her positive mindset and allow herself to focus on her work.

The American Association of Neurological Surgeons' website describes glioblastoma - a grade IV astrocytoma - as a fast-growing and aggressive tumor that invades one's brain tissue. Among the symptoms include seizures, loss of appetite, vomiting, and blurred vision, among others.

Her bereaved family opts to see the positive light in her passing as they want Saariaho's case to help raise awareness regarding brain tumors.

Amid her incurable brain tumor, she also contracted COVID-19 twice and underwent an experimental treatment at Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris.

Remembering Kaija Saariaho

Saariaho started her career in the 1970s after studying at the Sibelius Academy and the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg. At that time, the Helsinki native helped launched the Finnish group "Korvat auki (Ears Open).

A few years later, she found a job in the Pierre Boulez-founded center of contemporary music, Paris' Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music (IRCAM). She soon expanded her career and wrote "L'Amour de Loin" after getting inspired by Messiaen's ″St. Francois d'Assise" when she viewed it at the 1992 Salzburg Festival.

Before her death, Saariaho worked on her latest opera, "Innocence," which is scheduled for the Met's 2025-26 season. She also created "HUSH," a trumpet concerto that will premiere in Helsinki on Aug. 24.