AUF Day concert Accordion Expanded postponed to September

Veli Kujala

Avant’s Accordion Expanded concert is postponed to September. The new date is 23.9.2021 at 13.00. Tickets already purchased (for the previous concert on 10.6.) are automatically transferred to the new concert date. If the new concert date is not suitable, tickets can be returned until 30.6.2021, and returns will be handled by Ticketmaster. Instructions for returning tickets can be found here. All ticket purchasers who have provided their email address at the time of purchase have also been sent an email with instructions.

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Chamber orchestra Avanti!, UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra and Finnish Baroque Orchestra (FiBO) continue their AUF collaboration with a series of day concerts in the Paavo Hall of the Helsinki Music Centre. The Avant Accordion Expanded concert will take place on 23.9.2021 at 13.00.

The concert will feature works in which the accordion plays many roles, performed by the Avant String Quartet and accordionist Veli Kujala.

Adios Nonino, one of the most famous works by Astor Piazzolla, who celebrated his 100th birthday in March, will open the programme of concerts spanning eras and genres. Piazzolla composed the piece as a funeral piece for his father in 1959. Adios Nonino is written for bandoneon, as is Lotta Wennäkoski’s Amorti, the accordion version of which will be premiered at the concert.

Contemporary works include Hans Abrahamsen’s Nocturnes, the fourth movement of Wolfgang Rihm’s “patchwork” series Fetzen 4 and Georg Katzer’s snappy duo SaitenZungenspiel. Veli Kujala’s own composition, MiXi, is scored for harmonica and string quartet. The work will be performed as the closing number of the concert.

Antonín Dvořák’s bagatelles weld the concert programme together. The harmonic parts of the bagatelles will be played on the accordion, which belongs to the same family of free-form keyboard instruments as the harmonica.

The concert will be seated in a secure queue, tickets will be sold as non-numbered tickets and only a limited number of tickets will be available. To see the concert programme and buy tickets, please visit: https://musiikkitalo.fi/tapahtumat/auf-avanti-accordion-expanded/

The Music Hall group sales office is open Mon-Fri 10-14 on tel. 020 707 0426 and by email [email protected].

Avanti! conducted by Tuomas Hannikainen resurrects Sibelius work dormant for 120 years

A Concert Overture discovered among the manuscripts of works by Finland’s national composer Jean Sibelius has been premiered after a wait of 120 years. A piece referred to in the press as the overture to his opera The Maiden in the Tower was first heard at the Turku Fire Brigade Hall on 7 April 1900, with the composer himself conducting, and it was soon forgotten.

Conductor and Sibelius expert Tuomas Hannikainen found the 12-minute work among the collection of Sibelius manuscripts. It is, he says, “based on the music for Sibelius’s stage work The Maiden in the Tower and was, as it were, hiding among the original parts for this. The characteristic ingenuousness and optimism do therefore not come as a surprise.”

Now, more than 120 years later, the Concert Overture has been woken from its enchanted slumber, edited by Hannikainen and published. A remarkable composition, it has been slotted into the Masked Musicians concert reflecting the Covid era. Avanti! is also performing Sibelius’s melodrama The Countess’s Portrait and movements from the incidental music to Belshazzar’s Feast.

The well-known short story The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe has inspired artists from the visual arts to music. One example is the tone poem Conte Fantastique by the French composer André Caplet now to be heard in an arrangement for narrator, harp (played by Laura Hynninen) and string orchestra.

Conductor Tuomas Hannikainen has masterminded a production combining music, theatre and heraldic art, the texts to be narrated by actor Timo Torikka.

“The ongoing social isolation has set me wondering what purpose the arts might serve in the new world order,” says Conductor Hannikainen. “How can we use classical music, living so strongly in tradition, to mirror the present times and to draw creative strength from contemporary phenomena? Masked Musicians is one attempt to answer such questions.”

Click here for the recording of the sound broadcast on Yle Radio 1.

A video recording of the concert will be posted on the orchestra’s YouTube channel at 19:00 on 30 May. To watch the recording of Sibelius’s Concert Overture click here or watch below.

Avanti! brings to life a work by Sibelius that was forgotten for 120 years

The Concert Concerto, found in the manuscripts of our national composer Jean Sibelius, will be premiered after 120 years. The orchestral piece, referred to in the newspapers as the “Neito tornissa” (Maiden in the Tower), was premiered at the Turku Fire Brigade Hall on 7 April 1900 by the composer himself, after which it was soon forgotten.

Conductor and Sibelius scholar Tuomas Hannikainen found this 12-minute composition in Sibelius’ manuscript collection. According to Hannikainen, “the work is based on the music of Sibelius’s stage work Jungfrun i tornet and was found hidden, as it were, in its original scores. Against this background, the original innocence and lightness of the work are not surprising”.

Now, more than 120 years later, Hannikainen’s edited Concert Concerto is awakened from its Sleeping Beauty sleep and made part of Sibelius’s published output. The unique work is woven into a performance of Masked Musicians, reflecting the Corona period, recorded in the majestic Knights “Hall without an audience. Avanti! will perform Sibelius” works in addition to the Concert Concerto, the melodrama Portrait of the Countess and parts of the music for the play The Feasts of Belshazzar.

Edgar Allan Poe’s famous short story The Masque of the Red Death, about a desperate escape from a plague to a knight’s castle, has inspired artists from visual arts to music. These include French composer André Caplet‘s poem Conte Fantastique, which will be heard arranged for narrator, harp and string orchestra. The harp part will be played by Laura Hynninen.

Conductor Tuomas Hannikainen has designed, arranged, directed and dramatised an ensemble that combines music, theatre and coat of arms. The texts are interpreted by actor Timo Torikka.

“The period of social isolation has made me wonder what the role of art could be in the new world. How can we use classical music, so strongly rooted in tradition, to mirror our own time and draw creativity from the phenomena of our time?” says conductor Hannikainen. “Masked Musicians is one attempt to answer such questions.”

The radio broadcast was heard on Wednesday 26 May at 19:00 on Radio 1 and on Yle Arena, where it will be available for 30 days. You can watch the video recording of the concert below. A video recording of the entire concert will be available on Sunday 30 May at 19:00 on the orchestra’s YouTube channel.

Summer Concert Series envelops Porvoo

Avanti! is this year greatly multiplying its musical offering in Porvoo with a series of summer concerts in addition to its familiar Summer Sounds festival. This unique concert series will be enveloping the whole town and spreading out into its nearby villages for chamber recitals performed by small ensembles. Summer Sounds tickets will go on sale at 12 noon on Friday May 21, when it will also be possible to book seats for the free concerts.

Players to plan summer concert programmes

Avanti! is this year putting on a unique series of free concerts spread across the town, at manor houses and concert halls and in town squares. Avanti!’s Artistic Director Kari Kriikku promises programmes that are fun, serious, absurd and surprising, each in its planners’ own image. “The keen Avanti! guys have been the driving force behind these concerts. We’re so thrilled to have found such impressive venues for the concerts with the help of our friends in Porvoo.”

The series begins in the first week of June at Bosgård Manor, where promising young Bengi Canatan will be conjuring magical timbres from the harp. The next concert, at the Villa Albert, will be testing the limits of the accordion in the hands of Veli Kujala with the Avanti! Quartet. Finland’s local council elections will also be noted with music on polling day (June 13) as the Duo Matalata welcome voters on tuba and bass clarinet near a couple of polling stations. Also scheduled for June are some French Baroque, and music from the Middle Ages to the present day on various instrumental line-ups.

After the festival, in July, early Baroque hits will be paired with premieres of works by young Finnish composers in Näsimäki Chapel. The programme for July and August will further feature a selection of concerts each creating a world of its own. The summer concert series will culminate at the end of August with a Disklavier spectacle full of surprises.

Avanti! takes over Porvoo – Summer concert series spreads around the city

This summer, the concerts will be multiplied, as in addition to the familiar Suvisoitto festival, Avanti! is organising a series of summer concerts in Porvoo. The unique concert series will be spread around the city and its villages, where musicians will perform in intimate concerts in small groups. Ticket sales for the Summer Concert and reservations for the free June concerts start on Friday 21 May at 12 noon.

A series of summer concerts with programmes designed by musicians

During the summer, Avanti! a unique series of free concerts will take place all over Porvoo. The music will be performed in mansions, concert halls and markets. The orchestra’s artistic director Kari Kriikku promises fun, serious, absurd and surprising concert programmes, each with the designers’ own voice. “The enthusiastic team of Avant’s musicians has been the driving force behind the design. We are thrilled with the impressive venues for the concerts we have found with the guidance of the people of Porvoo.”

The series kicks off in the first week of June at Bosgård Manor, where young harp prodigy Bengi Canatan offers the enchanting sounds of the harp. The next concert at Villa Albert will see the harmonica stretched to new dimensions by Veli Kujala and the Avanti! quartet. The municipal elections in Porvoo will not be without music either, as Duo Matalata will lift the mood on polling day with tuba and bass clarinet tunes. In June, there will also be French baroque music and tunes from the Middle Ages to the present day, performed by various ensembles.

After the summer concert in July, you can hear how early Baroque is intertwined with contemporary works, when the Hittiparit concert in Näsinmäki Chapel will feature Baroque hits with premieres by young Finnish composers. The July and August programme is rounded off with a varied selection of concerts, each creating its own universe. The summer concerts culminate in a surprising spectacle of disco piano and piano flute at the end of August.

All concerts in the Summer Concert Series are free and take place at safe intervals. Due to limited capacity, seats must be booked in advance.

Reservations for summer concerts
Free concerts are booked in advance and registration starts on 21 May at 12.00. The August programme will be completed during the summer. For registration instructions and updated information, please visit www.avantimusic.fi/kesakonsertit

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In addition to the Summer Music Festival, Avanti! will also be organising a summer concert series in Borgå, a unique series of concerts that will take place in the city and its villages, where the musicians will perform intimate concerts in small ensembles. Ticket sales for Sommarmusik and bookings for the free concerts start on Friday 21.5 kl. 12

Summer concert series bjuder på program planerat av musikerna själva

During the summer, Avanti! will perform a unique series of free concerts, which will be held in Borgå, both in herrgårdar and concert halls as well as on the town square. The orchestra’s artistic director, Kari Kriikku, will devise a rousing, controversial, absurd and overwhelming concert programme, in which the voice of the planning partners will be heard. “Avantimusikernas ivriga gäng har varit en bärande kraft i planeringen. Vi är helt exalterade över hur imponerande konzertutrymmen vi hittat med borgåbornas hjälp.”

The concert series starts the first week of June at Bosgård, where young harpist Bengi Canatan will be performing a series of harp songs. At the next concert in Villa Albert we will hear Veli Kujala’s accordion seek new dimensions together with the Avanti! quartet. Inte heller kommunalvalet i Borgå går tonlöst förbi. Duo Matalata raises the tone on election day with music on tuba and bass clarinet in the vicinity of several polling stations. In June there will also be French baroque music and tunes from medieval times to the present with various instrumental ensembles.

After Sommarmusik, the concert Hitpar in Näsebackens kapell presents baroque hits hand in hand with original performances of works by young Finnish composers. The programme in July and August will be completed with a wide range of concerts, each creating its own universe. The summer concerts will culminate at the end of August with a disco-piano-flying spectacle full of vibrations.

All concerts in the summer concert series are free of charge and are arranged with security clearance. Due to the limited capacity of the concert venues, seats are booked in advance.

Freaky music at the Art Factory – XXXVI Summer Festival ticket sale starts

Chamber Orchestra Avanti! organises the 36th edition of the Suvisoitto Festival, bringing a varied concert coverage to Porvoo from 30 June to 4 July.The festival is organised in accordance with the latest official guidelines and the safety of both the audience and the musicians is ensured. “There is a very limited number of tickets available initially, which we hope to increase as the festival approaches. Thus, we promise that some of the concerts will be streamed anyway,” said Annika Mustonen, Avant’s Executive Director.

This year, the festival is being organised by Austrian composer, singer and conductor Heinz Karl “Nali” Gruber. In keeping with Gruber’s style, the theme of the summer concert is “Freche Musik – Freaky Music”, a reference to music that is bold or cheeky. Gruber, who composed his international breakthrough Frankenstein!!, is at once popular and challenging, entertaining but serious in his sharp music.

The festival will feature postmodern music by Gruber and his Viennese colleagues, accompanied by new Finnish works and a diverse selection of chamber music. The summer concert will premiere Jouni Hirvelä’s violin concerto Rakka with Eriikka Maalismaa as soloist and a commissioned work by pianist-composer Mioko Yokoyama. Saturday evening will be in the Avanti! club atmosphere with the orchestra’s characteristically experimental chamber music by Anna Meredith and Jukka Tiensuuu, among others, and a swinging show by Pipoka-trio.

In addition to artistic designer Gruber, the festival concerts will be conducted by John Storgårds and Håkan Hardenberger, who will also naturally move into soloist roles – even in the middle of a concert. In a traditional Baroque concert, the Thirty Years’ War is explored through period compositions in the magnificent Pernajan Church, with soprano Tuuli Lindeberg interpreting the vocal parts. The festival’s opening fanfare will ring out at Porvoo’s Town Hall Square on Thursday 1 July at 12 noon.

Tickets for the Summer Play
Tickets for Avant’s Summer Play XXXVI: Frekkki Musiikkia will go on sale on 21 May at 12 noon at Lippupiste outlets and at www.lippu.fi. Concert programmes can be found at www.avantimusic.fi/suvisoiton-ohjelma

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Fresh music at Konstfabriken

Chamber orchestra Avanti! is organising for the 36th time its Sommarmusik festival with a long-term concert schedule in Borgå 30.6-4.7. The festival programme complies to the letter with current government directives and the safety of both the audience and the musicians is in safe hands. “To start with, we have a very limited number of tickets, and we can increase the number as the festival approaches. We would also like to stream as many of the concerts as possible,” comments Avantis operations manager Annika Mustonen.

The artistic planning of the festival is the responsibility of the Austrian singer, songwriter and conductor Heinz Karl “Nali” Gruber. The theme for Sommarmusik fits Gruber’s style, namely “Fräck Musik”. Gruber got his international breakthrough with the composition Frankenstein!!! and his music is at the same time popular and intriguing, understated but all-encompassing.

The main focus of the festival will be on the postmodern music of Gruber and his Viennese colleagues, combined with new Finnish compositions and a wide range of chamber music. Vid Sommarmusik uruppförs Jouni Hirveläs violin concerto Rakka med Eriikka Maalismaa som solist samt ett beställningsverk av pianisten-tonsättaren Mioko Yokoyama. På lördag kväll blir det Avanti! -klubb med för orkestern typisk experimentell kammarmusik, bl.a. av Anna Meredith och Jukka Tiensuu samt Pipoka-trios svängiga show.

In addition to artistic planner Gruber, the conductors of the festival concerts are John Storgårds and Håkan Hardenberger, who naturally move between the roles of conductor and soloist – up to and including the concert. In the traditional baroque concert, the trettioåriga kriget will be explored in both compositions in the magnificent church in Pernå, with soprano Tuuli Lindeberg as soloist. The opening fanfare of the festival will take place at Rådhustorget in Borgå on Thursday 1 July at 11.00. 12.

Ticket sales for Sommarmusik
Tickets for the Avantis festival Sommarmusik XXXVI: Fräck Musik will be sold on 21.5 at 12 noon via Lippupistes sales points and www.lippu.fi. Concert programmes can be found on the Avantis website www.avantimusic.fi/suvisoiton-ohjelma.