Einojuhani Rautavaara is a notable contemporary Finnish composer (b. 1928) whose numerous compositions include 8 symphonies, concertos, sonatas, and chamber music. His music utilizes many forms and styles, and has been described as spiritual and other-worldly. Many of his works refer to angels, and in an interview, he was asked what angels mean to him. He replied:

"My conviction is that there are other kinds of realities, other kinds of consciousness. They are real but beyond rational approach. If you want to use words you can say "angel," for lack of a better word.

Music is a language where we can probe those other realities, without words. Besides immense pleasure, music gives to the listener information. The information is not anything you can transcribe in words."