aulis sallinen (born 9 april 1935) is a finnish contemporary classical music composer. his music has been variously described as "remorselessly harsh", a "beautifully crafted amalgam of several 20th-century styles", and "neo-romantic". sallinen studied at the sibelius academy, where his teachers included joonas kokkonen. he has had works commissioned by the kronos quartet, and has also written seven operas, eight symphonies, concertos for violin, cello, flute, horn, and english horn, as well as several chamber works. he won the nordic council music prize in 1978 for his opera "ratsumies" ("the horseman").