Corona Pass available for December concerts

Due to the restriction decisions of the Southern Finland Regional State Administrative Agencies that will enter into force on 4 December, Avanti! will use the koronapass for its concert Modernist Classics: Stockhausen & Ligeti on Sunday 12.12. The koronapass will also be used for the performances of La Passion de Simone at the Musiikkitalo on 29 and 30 December. The Korona Pass is required for all concert-goers over 16 years of age.

The Interest Passport is an EU interest certificate that can be downloaded from the Omakanta online service at. kanta.fi. If you cannot use Omakanta, you can also obtain a paper printout of the pass from your health centre.

Any of these three EU interest rate certificates will work as a passport:

  • Certificate of coronary vaccine
  • Certificate of a negative interest rate test result less than 72 hours old
  • Certificate of coronary heart disease

Loading instructions and passport control:

  • Log in to Omakanta and download the interest rate passport to your computer or phone.
  • If you wish, you can print out a paper copy of the passport.
  • Be prepared to present the QR code on your interest rate passport, either on your phone screen or on a printout.
  • The corona pass will be checked at the entrance to the concert venue. Please arrive on time. Please also present photo identification on request.

The Corona Passport reader application does not collect or store the passport holder’s health data.

You can read the decision of the Southern Finland Regional State Administrative Agencies here: https://avi.fi/tiedote/-/tiedote/69926502

For more information on the interest rate passport, please visit the Self-Carry page: https://www.kanta.fi/usein-kysyttya-koronapassista

Please follow these guidelines to ensure a safe event:
  • Use a face mask.
  • Maintain good hand hygiene.
  • Keep a safe distance from other groups.
  • Do not attend the concert if you have mild symptoms of covid19 or suspect exposure to the infection. In this case, you can return your ticket by calling the Ticket Office call centre at least two hours before the concert(https://www.lippu.fi/yhteystiedot). However, no refund will be made for delivery and service charges.

“Any kind of Stockhausen is interesting” – Avanti! aligns the stars at the Ritarihuone concert

The Avant Chamber Orchestra concert on Sunday 12 December will feature modernist classics. Fellow composers Karlheinz Stockhausen and György Ligeti will be explored through chamber and solo works in the Knights’ Hall.

One of the works to be performed is Tierkreis (“Animal Track”), one of Stockhausen’s most popular compositions, composed between 1974-75. Tierkreis goes through all twelve stars of the zodiac in simple melodies that can be played on almost any instrument. Stockhausen laid down a lot of rules for his work, but on the other hand gave a lot of freedom.

The people of Avant create their own version of the work. Musicians who are not unfamiliar with Stockhausen’s music have been gathered to perform and arrange the work. Among the musicians interpreting Stockhausen are accordionist Veli Kujala, kantele player Eija Kankaanranta, saxophonist Sampo Kasurinen and Karoliina Kantelinen, who also sings in the Värttinä band.

Avant’s artistic director, clarinetist Kari Kriikku, who also plays in the work, promises a performance that may surprise not only the audience but also the musicians themselves. “In Avant’s version, the liberties taken by Stockhausen are stretched to the limit – without forgetting the rules.”

Kriikku does not deny Stockhausen’s role as one of the leading figures of modernism. “Stockhausen’s interest began with his early work. But for many devoted fans, it was too much when he started composing about constellations and planets. I find all kinds of Stockhausen interesting.”

Another true modernist classic is György Ligeti’s Chamber Concerto, with the polyrhythmic cadenzas and solo stems of the 13-piece ensemble conducted by Taavi Oramo. The chamber works will be paired with solo works, giving a different perspective on the composers’ productions. Ligeti’s intense and extremely fast Continuum for harpsichord will be performed by Sanni Antikainen and Stockhausen’s Piano Piece IX will be interpreted by Mariola Aniolek.

Modernist classics: the Stockhausen & Ligeti concert on Sunday 12.12.2021 at 18:00 at the Ritarihuone in Helsinki. Tickets 30/25/15 € + delivery fee (from 1 €) in Lippupiste’s online shop(www.lippu.fi).

 

Guidelines for concert audiences

Avanti! strongly recommends the use of a face mask, good hand hygiene and keeping a safe distance from other parties. Only part of the hall’s capacity is available for sale. You cannot attend the concert if you have mild symptoms of covid19 or suspect exposure to the infection.

Due to the restriction decisions of the Southern Finland Regional State Administrative Board, which will come into force on 4 December, all concert-goers over the age of 16 will be required to have a concert pass. Read more about the interest rate pass and how to check it in the news The interest rate pass will be available at December concerts.

*updated 3.12.

Avanti! collaborates with the Red Nose Company – a comedy about Aleksis Kivi will premiere next February at the National Theatre

Red Nose Company and the National Theatre bring the life and works of Aleksis Kivi to the Great Stage

The work, which is part of the 150th anniversary year of the National Theatre, will premiere on 17 February 2022.The co-production also includes the Chamber Orchestra Avanti!, the City Theatres of Jyväskylä, Lahti, Kuopio and Turku, and the Tampere Workers’ Theatre.

Aleksis Kivi is a comedy about a man who became a monument. Why has Kivi been put on a pedestal in our country? What was the price he paid for his uncompromising dedication to his art and for going his own way?

Aleksis Kivi explores themes related to the national writer, from death to love, from existentialism to money, and from nature to the problems of the modern world. The show also explores the lesser-known aspects of the writer and the people who influenced his life, allowing Kivi to be the artist he wanted to be.

Of course, the Seven Brothers and Esko of the Nummisutarians will be on stage. Kivi’s strong female roles, such as Lea, whose eponymous play (1869) is considered to be the beginning of Finnish theatre, will also have their rightful place.

Red Nose Company actors Timo Ruuskanen and Tuukka Vasama are known for their insightful interpretations of classics and seamless interplay. Their clown interpretations of works by Kari Hotakainen, Ilmari Kianno and Miguel de Cervantes have reached over 40 000 Finns. The performance will be co-directed by Linda Wallgren, whose Kivi interpretations have recently been seen in Turku and Lahti. The performance, which radiates humour and playfulness, highlights Kivi’s versatility as a user of language and a master of style. The script was created in collaboration with Eva Buchwald, dramaturg at the National Theatre. The lyrical text is accompanied by the Avant Chamber Orchestra String Quartet led by Niko Kumpuvaara.

In preparing the performance, the working group has read Kivi’s biographies, contemporary descriptions, letters and criticisms, and above all, Kivi’s complete works, together and separately. “There are many different stories about the life of Aleksis Kivi. We do not know what the truth is about him. But we do have his writings – they are the truth about him for us actors,” says Timo Ruuskanen.

“For me, the most important thing about Kivi is the language,” Tuukka Vasama reflects. “Kivi himself has said that writing is like walking in the forest. And that’s what reading his texts is for me to a large extent, walking in the Finnish landscape.”

First performance on the Great Stage of the National Theatre 17.2.2022

Ten performances at the National Theatre. The production will continue on tour from the Kansallisteatteri to various parts of Finland in autumn 2022. The co-production also includes Jyväskylä City Theatre, Lahti City Theatre, Kuopio City Theatre, Tampere Workers’ Theatre, Turku City Theatre and the chamber orchestra Avanti!

Working Group
Actors Timo Ruuskanen and Tuukka Vasama
Accordion, music direction Niko Kumpuvaara
String Quartet (Chamber Orchestra Avanti!) Eriikka Maalismaa / Terhi Paldanius / Tommi Asplund (violin), Olga Reskalenko / Santtu Podzniakov (viola) / Joasia Cieślak (cello)
Text and dramaturgy Eva Buchwald, Timo Ruuskanen, Linda Wallgren and Tuukka Vasama Direction Timo Ruuskanen, Linda Wallgren and Tuukka Vasama Dramaturg Eva Buchwald Set and costume design Tarja Simone Lighting design Ville Virtanen Make-up design Petra Kuntsi Music arrangement Marzi Nyman and Niko Kumpuvaara

Find out more about the work on the show’s website.

Red Nose Company is a Helsinki-based theatre group, one of the most sought-after touring theatres in Finland. The group’s performances of Don Quixote, Babylon, Red Line and Runway Road, as well as the family performances of The Emperor’s New Clothes and Frankenstein, have captivated audiences all over Finland. In 2019, the group broke its audience record: 22 000 spectators.

Stockhausen and Ligeti at the Ritarihuone in December

After a long hiatus that limited its activities, the chamber orchestra Avanti! will return to full concerts in the historic hall of the Knights’ Hall on 12 December. Modernist classics Karlheinz Stockhausen yes György Ligeti take centre stage in a concert that is at the heart of Avant’s approach to the work.

Fellow composers Stockhausen and Ligeti moved in different directions in their musical styles, but both can be considered equally virtuosic and futuristic. The cult figure Stockhausen gave his own twist to the signs of the zodiac with his Tierkreis. These will be transformed in an avant-garde and avant-garde style, with traditional orchestral instruments being joined by harmonica and kantele, among others, to interpret Tierkreis.

Colourful surfaces and changing textures are the delights of Ligeti’s Chamber Concerto. The 13-piece ensemble is led by the rising star of the conducting scene Taavi Oramo. The chamber works will be paired with solo works for keyboard. Ligeti’s intense micropolyphonic Continuum for harpsichord is performed by Sanni Antikainen and Stockhausen’s piano piece IX takes hold Mariola Aniolek.

Modernist classics: the Stockhausen & Ligeti concert on Sunday 12.12.2021 at 18:00 at the Ritarihuone in Helsinki. Tickets for the concert go on sale on Fri 15.10. at 12 noon in Lippupiste’s online shop. Tickets cost 30/25/15 € + delivery fee (from 1 €). www.lippu.fi).

Avanti! strongly recommends the use of a face mask and good hand and sputum hygiene.

AUF concert “Music for All” available to watch and listen to free of charge

AUF: Music for all – three orchestras together again on Tuesday 14 September at 19:00 in the Concert Hall of the Music Centre.

You can enjoy the music at the Musiikkitalo or watch the free livestream on the Helsinki Channel. The concert broadcast will be available free of charge for one month, until Tuesday 12.10.2021.

The concert will also be radioed and broadcast on Yle Radio 1 on Thursday 16.9.2021 at 19.02. The concert will also be available on Yle Arena from 16 September for 30 days.

The programme for the concert can be found here.

Avanti!, UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra & Finnish Baroque Orchestra (FiBO)
Taavi Oramo, conductor

Three independent orchestras from the capital will join forces in a concert that crosses boundaries but combines styles and eras. Together and separately, the musicians of Avant, UMO Helsinki and FiBO will perform works that bring together old and new, light and serious. The programme includes the premiere of Sampo Kasurinen’s Do Androids Dream, composed for the unique AUF ensemble, and Henry Purcell’s The Fairy Queen, with jazz arrangements by Ursula Reich alongside original Baroque versions.

 

Avant’s grand tour brought 33 concerts to Porvoo this summer – no corona infections traced to the events

Avant’s grand tour brought 33 concerts to Porvoo this summer – no corona infections traced to the events

Chamber Orchestra Avanti! organised a summer concert series and a five-day Summer Music Festival in Porvoo during the summer of 2021. In total, the events, which employed more than 150 music professionals, reached an audience of around 1,500, and the streaming concerts of Suvisoito attracted around 1,300 views. Despite the changing restrictions imposed by the authorities, the entire summer programme was carried out and the final audience exceeded the organisers’ expectations. Corona security was ensured.

The unique series of free concerts offered a diverse selection of concert programmes designed by musicians from all over Porvoo. Audience restrictions and security clearance requirements, especially for indoor venues, kept audience capacity quite low. As a result, almost all 13 concerts in the summer series were performed in duplicate.

The summer concerts featured music from the 1300s to the premieres of new works. The series started in early June at Bosgård Manor Bengi Canatan harp concert and ended at the end of August at the Kunsthalle Emil Holmström’s piano concerto. During the summer, the festival included a brass octet at the Kerkkoo youth club and French baroque music at the Svartbäck-Spjutsund archipelago church. Percussion music and Finnish tango were enjoyed at Porvoo’s Town Hall Square. One of the highlights of the concert series was Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting an orchestra concert in the Avanti Hall of the Art Factory.

Esa-Pekka Salonen conducted his work Saltat Sobrius at a concert at Taidetehta on 15 August (c) Heikki Tuuli

Safe encounters with music

All Avant events were carried out in accordance with up-to-date official guidelines and regulations on safety distances and other safety measures to prevent the spread of corona. A strong mask recommendation was in place at concerts and the audience was instructed on corona safety at registration and at concert venues.

For the free concerts in the summer concert series, pre-registration was used to collect contact information and to limit audience capacity. However, there have been no contacts from the authorities regarding the tracing of corona infections and the organisers are not aware of any cases of infection linked to events organised by Avant.

Thanks to supporters and the public

The Summer Concert Series and the Suvisoito were made possible by the City of Porvoo, the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Arts Promotion Centre, Aktiasäätiö Porvoo and Svenska Kulturfonden. Avant’s eventful summer has contributed to the celebration of Porvoo’s 675th anniversary.

 

A warm thank you to all our supporters, partners and friends of Avant for this summer!

 

Read more about the summer concert series here.

To read the Summer Music Festival post-event press release, click here:

Avantin XXXVI Suvisoitto hemmotteli musiikinnälkäisiä – kiitos yleisö, taiteilijat, tukijat sekä Avantin ystävät!

Summer concert series culminates with Esa-Pekka Salonen – August full of concerts

Avant’s unique summer concert series in Porvoo will come to an end in August. However, there are still many great concerts to come for music lovers of all kinds.

Esa-Pekka Salonen, who is often seen conducting the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and top European orchestras, will also spend time in Finland this summer, something the Avant-garde are very excited about. One of Avant’s founding members, Salonen will conduct the Finnish premiere of the conductor-composer’s Saltat Sobrius on Sunday 15 August in the Avanti Hall of the Art Factory. In a concert that evokes the Middle Ages, Avant’s wind ensembles will tackle a rarely heard Richard Strauss symphony for wind instruments and chamber ensembles will perform works by Anneli Arho and Guillaume de Machaut.

At Porvoo’s Town Hall Square, Avanti will be offering music on two occasions next week. On Thursday 5 August, the square will be taken over by the Daytime Dances, when bassoonist Erkki Suomalainen and violist Wu Pei-Yi will lead the audience into the atmosphere of Finnish tangos. On Friday 6 August, Avant’s percussionists Antti Suoranta, Antti Ohenoja and Walter Witick will take over the soundscape of the market square.

For children and child lovers, on Saturday 28 August there will be a concert called Touch the Music. Designed by public relations professional and music educator Tuula Jukola-Nuorteva, this children’s concert will bring music within touching distance. Avant’s musicians will inspire children to draw and paint in this concert combining visual arts and music.

The summer concert series will culminate at the end of August on Sunday 29 August in the Avanti Hall of the Art Factory, where piano virtuoso Emil Holmström will perform Sampo Kasurinen’s work Helvetinkone for disclavier piano. Maurice Ravel’s Scarbo from Gaspard de la nuit, described as the most difficult piano work in the world, will open the concert.

Safe access to music experiences

The summer of 2021 in Avant Garda has been exceptional in many ways. The summer concert series has already featured eight days of double concerts in Porvoo, offering a wide variety of concert experiences for small but all the more loving audiences. In addition, our Suvisoitto festival from 30 June to 4 July attracted an impressive number of listeners to a total of nine concerts, two of which were sold out. This busy summer has shown how important art is to both audiences and artists.

For future concerts, Avanti also strongly recommends wearing a face mask and maintaining good hand and cough hygiene. Audiences are also advised to keep a safe distance from other patrons in the lobby and in queuing situations. Seating in the hall is at safety intervals. Thank you for working with us to make events safe!

One exception for free concerts

Open-air concerts at the Town Hall Square are free of charge and admission is free. The Children’s Concert and Helvetinkone require advance booking due to limited capacity. An exception to the free summer concerts is the 15 August concert by Avant & Esa-Pekka Salonen, for which ticket sales start on Fri 30 July at 9am in Lippupiste’s online shop.

The summer concert series is made possible by the City of Porvoo, the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Arts Promotion Centre, Aktiasäätiö Porvoo and Svenska Kulturfonden. The summer concerts are part of Porvoo’s 675th anniversary year.

Avant’s XXXVI Summer Play spoiled the music lovers – thanks to the audience, artists, supporters and friends of Avant!

Avant’s Summer Play brought an eight-concert festival programme to sunny Porvoo, designed by Austrian composer, conductor and chansonnier HK Gruber. The programme, postponed for a year, was announced when restrictions lifted in May made it possible to bring live music back to the public.

After a long break, the concert and especially the interaction with the audience has been a great experience for the whole orchestra. The number of tickets on sale was very limited compared to the total capacity. “We are extremely happy that the festival could be held safely. In terms of audience numbers, we met our target and the atmosphere was great – despite the exceptional times”, says Annika Mustonen, Avant’s Executive Director.

Avant’s XXXVI Summer Music Festival was held in Porvoo and Pernaja from 30.6.-4.7.2021.The programme, with the theme “Freaky Music”, included cheeky music for both large orchestra and smaller chamber ensembles. The conductors, in addition to Suvisoito’s artistic designer HK Gruber, were John Storgårds and Håkan Hardenberger, all of whom were also seen in captivating solo roles.

The Baroque concert in Pernaja Church was a musical journey to the 30-year war, accompanied by soprano Tuuli Lindeberg. The festival premiered Jouni Hirvelä’s violin concerto Rakka with Eriikka Maalismaa as soloist and the piano concerto by composer-pianist Mioko Yokoyama. Other soloists in the Suvisoito were pianist Mirka Viitala, accordionists Niko Kumpuvaara and Veli Kujala, banjoist Jarmo Julkunen and tuba player Petri Keskitalo. Saturday’s chamber concerts featured skilful performances by small ensembles. A real surprise act at the festival was violinist Pekka Kuusisto with his recital.

Some of the concerts were streamed

Due to limited audience capacity, Thursday’s opening concert Frankenstein!! and Sunday night’s closing concert were broadcast live online. The concerts will be available for two months on the orchestra’s YouTube channel.

Looking ahead to next summer

The XXXVII Avant’s Summer Play will take place 29.6.-3.7.2022 in Porvoo and the artistic design of the festival is the responsibility of Julia Wolfe.

Julia Wolfe (born 1958) is an American composer and professor of music at New York University. Wolfe has composed a significant number of works especially for strings, from quartet to full orchestra. The composer draws inspiration from folk, art and rock music, bringing a modern sensibility to each genre – while breaking down the walls between them. Wolfe was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2015 and was a 2016 MacArthur Fellow. Julia Wolfe is the founder and one of the artistic directors of the legendary New York-based music collective Bang on a Can.

Summer Music online concerts

“Freaky music” themed Suvisoitto XXXVI kicks off next week in Porvoo! After a long wait, it will be possible to listen to the fantastic HK Gruber-designed festival programme live at the concert venues. Avanti! wants to bring the festival atmosphere to home auditoriums as well.

We broadcast live online concerts on YouTube:

  • Thursday 1.7. at 19, Frankenstein!! concert
    • HK Gruber, conductor & chansonnier
    • Eriikka Maalismaa, violin
    • Programme:
      Bernd Richard Deutsch: Dr. Futurity
      Jouni Hirvelä: Rakka (premiere)
      media
      HK Gruber: Frankenstein!! Pan-demonium for singer and orchestra to poems by H. C. Artmann

You can watch the concert here:

  • Sunday 4.7. at 18, Closing concert
    • John Storgårds, conductor
    • HK Gruber, baritone
    • Pipoka Trio:
      Veli Kujala, accordion
      Jarmo Julkunen, guitar & banjo
      Petri Keskitalo, tuba
    • Programme:
      Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 27
      Markus Fagerudd: Stream & River Motion
      väliaika
      HK Gruber: Manhattan Broadcasts
      Kurt Schwertsik: Starckdeutsche Lieder und Tänze

Links to the webcasts will be published in this newsletter and on the individual concert pages.

Welcome to join us!

More tickets to Suvisoittoon – Mera biljetter till Sommarmusik

The audience capacity for all Avant Garda Summer Festival concerts has been increased thanks to the favourable situation. More tickets will go on sale tomorrow Friday 18.6. at 12 noon In the Lippupiste online store.

Please note that we will continue to follow the general guidelines on safety distances and hygiene. We recommend the use of a face mask.

* We have managed to increase the audience capacity of the concerts and more tickets will be on sale on friday 18.6 kl. 12. For sale via Lippupistes webbutik.

Please note that we follow the general instructions on safety and hygiene. Vi rekommenderar att använda munskydd.