I had the rare opportunity to actually meet Einojuhani Rautavaara once, back in the year 2000. He was in Philadelphia for the first performance of his Symphony No. 8, “The Journey.” By purest chance, I had struck up a friendship with Anssi Blomstedt, a documentary filmmaker then living in Philadelphia, who is the youngest grandchild of Jean Sibelius. He had simply wandered into my bookstore one day, as I was playing a CD of Robert Kajanus conducting his grandfather’s Symphony No. 3. Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world…

Anyway, I got Anssi into a rehearsal of Simon Rattle conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra in Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5. The ebullient Rattle was overjoyed to meet him. The encounter happened to coincide with an interview Rattle was doing backstage with somebody from Vanity Fair, I think, and somewhere there is a photograph of the future Sir Simon planting a kiss on Anssi’s forehead.

One good turn deserves another, and when Rautavaara came to town, Anssi took me backstage at the Academy of Music to introduce me to him. The venerable composer was friendly and obviously amenable to a photograph. He also was kind enough to sign my Naxos CD of his Symphony No. 3, Piano Concerto No. 1, and Concerto for Birds and Orchestra, “Cantus Arcticus.” I wonder what he thought of this peculiar, 33 year-old “fan.”

Rautavaara died on July 27 at the age of 87. Join me this morning as we celebrate the late Finnish master with FIVE HOURS of his music, from 6 to 11 EDT, on WPRB 103.3 FM and at wprb.com. One needs plenty of time in order even to say “Einojuhani Rautavaara.” Mostly we’ll let the music do the talking, on Classic Ross Amico.