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1. Meta4 premieres a new string quartet by Jouni Kaipainen at Proms
One of the dynamic rising stars of international chamber music scene, string quartet Meta4 premieres a new work by Jouni Kaipainen at the world-famous BBC Proms festival in London. The new quartet is Kaipainen´s 6th, and the premiere will take place on 26 July in Cadogan Hall, London. The co-commission by BBC and Royal Philharmonic Society was initiated by Meta4.
Other Finnish performers at the Proms festival are sopranos Karita Mattila and Helena Juntunen, and conductor Osmo Vänskä. The Proms continue from 16 July to 11 September 2010.
2. Finnish festivals commissioned new works for the summer
Finnish festivals have confidence in the allure of contemporary music in this summer's programmes. The commissioned works include, for example, Sebastian Fagerlund's new trio Fuel, written for the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival (11‒24 Jul), and Kirmo Lintinen's Puustokokemuksia(Forest Cover Testimonials), written for violinist Pekka Kuusisto and UMO Jazz Orchestra, and premiered at Our Festival (25‒31 Jul).
At Time of Music festival in Viitasaari (7‒12 Jul) the theme of the summer is voice, in terms of choral music as well as electro-acoustic works. The performers will include Finnish groups like defunensemble and Helsinki Chamber Choir, as well as several international ensembles. New works have been commissioned from Ville Raasakka (by the festival), Maija Hynninen (by Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE), and Sampo Haapamäki (by Helsinki Chamber Choir).
3. Alba's latest releases focus on Finnish chamber music
The Finnish record company Alba has recently produced interesting new recordings at a very fast rate. The spring and early summer have brought three cd's with contemporary chamber music works. The new CD of Jukka Tiensuu's chamber works is recorded by Plus Ensemble, Mikael Helasvuo (flute), Jan Söderblom (violin) and the pianist-composer himself. Wind Quintet Arctic Hysteria´s brand new profile CD features fascinating wind quintets by Atso Almila, Pehr Henrik Nordgren and Joonas Kokkonen. The third new release,Tempera Quartet's new CD, features Pehr Henrik Nordgren's last two string quartets, both works dedicated to Tempera Quartet.
4. Jyrki Linjama´s Die Geburt des Täufers premiered in Austria
Jyrki Linjama´s church opera, Die Geburt des Täufers, will be premiered in Ossiach abbey church, Austria, on 8 July. The performances are part of the Austrian festival Carinthian Summer, focusing this year on Finnish music and especially Linjama's works. The opera is composed for 4 soloists (Mary, soprano; Elizabeth, alto; Gabriel, tenor and Zacharias, baryton) and a chamber ensemble of 9 players. Telling the birth story of John the Baptist according to the Gospel of St. Luke, the libretto is based on the Bible and reworked by Linjama himself with Matti Kontio and Jussi Tapola. The performance is directed by Japanese director Yoshi Oida.
5. Finnish and Russian contemporary music on tour
During 8‒28 June, Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble (MCME) tours in Izhevsk, Tchaikovsky, Perm and Moscow, Russia, giving concerts dedicated to Finnish and Russian contemporary music. The concert tour, named ‘Studying for the Future´ includes also master-classes, lectures and composition competition for teenagers. The MCME performs music by Kalevi Aho, Perttu Haapanen, Jouni Kaipainen, Jukka Koskinen, Kimmo Kuitunen, Kirmo Lintinen, Mikko Nisula, Osmo Tapio Räihälä, Jukka Tiensuu, and Harri Wessman. Wessman also participates in the tour as composer-in-residence for MCME and chairman of the jury for the composition contest.
Short cuts
‒ Q2, the online channel of New Yorker classical music radio station WQXR, devotes a 24-hour program to Finnish contemporary music. The program, named "24-Hour Finn ‒ A Sibelius-Free Day of Continuous New Music from Finland", begins at midnight (Eastern Standard Time) on July 8, and continues the full 24 hours.
‒ Kaija Saariaho's Notes on Light is the winner of The Royal Philharmonic Society's Music Award in the category for large-scale compositions.
New recordings
‒ Alba Records has released a marvelous audible survey of pianist Liisa Pohjola´s laudable career as a compilation of 3 CD´s. The tracks have been selected from Pohjola´s recordings for Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) from 1969 to 2004, thus spanning 35 years. The compilation features a comprehensive selection of recordings from the heart of Finnish piano art, and it also fascinatingly illuminates one of the most magnificent pianist careers in Finland.
‒ Ondine's latest releases include a new Einojuhani Rautavaara recording by Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and Leif Segerstam. The CD includes works Before the Icons and A Tapestry of Life.
‒ Another new release by Ondine presents J. S. Bach's Solo Violin Partitas arranged for guitar by guitarist Timo Korhonen. The recording will be released internationally in June 2010.
More new recordings will be updated to Fimic web site, www.fimic.fi > Recordings
Concerts and premieres
‒ Tapio Tuomela's Antti Puuhaara will be premiered in France as a concert version on 10 June. The scenic version of the work will get its premiere in Marseille on 4 November.
‒ Tomi Räisänen's works will be played in Kiel and Wiepersdorf, Germany, on 18 and 20 June. Räisänen's new Midsommar(so)natten will be premiered in Gotland, Sweden, on 29 June.
‒ A Japanese contemporary music group, Ensemble Nomad, dedicates a whole concert in Tokyo, Japan, to Finnish contemporary music on 21 June. The concert, named "Finlandia", presents music by Perttu Haapanen, Juha T. Koskinen, Kaija Saariaho, Matthew Whittall and Lotta Wennäkoski.
‒ Magnus Lindberg's latest commission by New York Philharmonic, Al largo, will be premiered in New York on 23 June. More performances will follow in New York and Europe.
‒ On 23 July, Jan Mikael Vainio´s work for beatboxer and symphony orchestra, Fujiko´s Fairy Tale, will be presented for the first time outside Finland. The US premiere of the work will be performed by beatboxer Shodekeh together with Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and conductor Marin Alsop.
‒ Crusell Week, a Finnish summer festival, will feature two world premieres in its programme: Jouni Kaipainen's Bassoon Quintet (25 Jul) and Olli Kortekangas' new work for oboe and string quartet (27 Jul).
‒ Jarkko Hartikainen´s Vastakaiku (Anklang bis) will be featured at Darmstadt 45th summer courses (17-31 Jul). The work will be part of the new concept, Reading Sessions.
‒ Juha T. Koskinen's opera Madame de Sade will be premiered by Helsinki Skaala Opera on 11 August in Helsinki. The role of Madame de Sade will be sung by mezzo soprano Essi Luttinen.
For more Finnish performances around the world, see www.fimic.fi > Event Calendar
