Avanti! thanks Kari Kriikku and looks to the future –
Changes to the artistic design of the Avant Chamber Orchestra
A new phase in the life of the chamber orchestra Avanti begins when the employment of long-time artistic director Kari Kriiku ends on 31 May 2024.During Kriiku’s 25-year tenure, Avanti has established itself as one of Finland’s most prominent performers of new music. Under his leadership, the orchestra has given a huge number of memorable concerts and performances. At the same time, Kriikku has created an extensive network of collaborations for the orchestra.
The termination of the employment of the monthly paid Artistic Director is due to financial reasons resulting from the changed operating environment. Kari Kriikku will continue as sound director of the Avant clarinet.
In the new situation, Avanti will focus on strengthening the financial sustainability of its operations and redirecting resources towards a more generous concert offer. At the same time, the orchestra is working to create a new artistic planning model and to strategically develop its activities and update its operating models.
The programme for Spring 2024 is designed by Kari Kriikki. Traditionally, the artistic design of Avant’s Summer Festival is the responsibility of a different artist each year, and the programme of the festival in Porvoo from 27-30 June 2024 will feature the voice of Czech composer and conductor Ondřej Adámek. In autumn 2024, the new Avanti Club, a series of concerts at the Cable Factory, will be launched, highlighting the orchestra’s players and collaborators as concert programme planners. A more detailed programme will be published in April 2024, with the first concert in the series on Saturday 17 August 2024.
Avanti is an orchestra and a community that is moving towards the new, believing in the original idea of working on the terms of music. The future of the orchestra is planned with the involvement of its current players, founding members and collaborators, as well as those of the future. Music will continue to speak, inspire and unite. Avanti! – Forward!
