Avanti! postpones 35th Summer Sounds festival to 2021

The 35th Summer Sounds festival of the Avanti! Chamber Orchestra is to be postponed for one year to 2021, when it will be held in Porvoo from June 30 to July 4. The decision was made by the Avanti! Board at its meeting on Monday, April 27.

“It’s a regrettable situation for everyone,” says the orchestra’s Acting Executive Director Jussi Rauvola. “Though some of the Summer Sounds events will not exceed the limit of 500 participants imposed by the Finnish government, postponing the entire festival is, in the present circumstances, the most responsible course of action in order to ensure the health and safety of both audience and performers.”

Due to the coronavirus epidemic, Summer Sounds will not therefore be held in 2020, but there will still be a chance to enjoy music in this exceptional summer. Avanti! will be announcing this summer’s alternative programme and its execution over the next two months. Again, it will be strictly observing all the official orders and directions.

The programme for the 2021 festival will be planned by Austrian composer-singer-conductor HK Gruber, with a varied menu that includes works by Austrian postmodernists, Finnish premieres and other seldom-heard gems of contemporary music. Gruber will be appearing in person at the festival, in the triple role of composer, conductor and vocalist.

The names of the other visiting soloists and conductors for the 2021 Summer Sounds festival will be announced and tickets will go on sale in autumn 2020.