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Leif Segerstam´s last season as Chief Conductor is full of top quality concert programs

19.11.2018 14.38

Turku Philharmonic Orchestra´s season for spring 2019 is published. The theme for this spring is “romantic spring”. The several composers of romantic era that are played during spring season are behind this theme. The upcoming season is maestro Leif Segerstam´s last as TPO: s Chief Conductor. The season begins as well as ends with works of Richard Strauss.

 

Strauss to begin and end with

Chief Conductor Leif Segerstam opens his last spring season with a majestic program of Richard Strausss´ music. Richard Strauss’ Salome-opera will be performed as a conclusion of Segerstam’s artistic period on Thursday and Friday 16th and 17th of May at 7 pm in the Concert Hall.

Maestro will turn 75 on 2nd of March in 2019. His period as a chief conductor of Turku Philharmonic Orchestra started in 2012 and will end in May 2019 with Salome. During his period as a chief conductor Segerstam has contributed remarkably to the artistic level and image of the orchestra.

Leif Segerstam also conducts Sibelius´ Lemminkäinen and Chopin´s 1st piano concerto, with Janne Mertanen as soloist. The concert will be held on Thursday and Friday 4th and 5th of April at 7 pm in the Concert Hall.

 

Egotrippi in Logomo

Due to great demand, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra´s concert with Egotrippi is relocated to Logomo. The concert sold out right after the publication day in October. Logomo has exquisite technical abilities that suite the concert perfectly. Also Logomo Hall is for 1800 audience members, whereas Concert Hall has only 1000 seats. The new date for the concert is Wednesday 30th of January at 7 pm. Those who have already bought tickets will be contacted directly. More tickets will come to sale on 21.11.

 

Haydn´s Creation on Easter

Haydn’s magnum opus, lasting nearly two hours, sets the story of the creation of the world to music. The work will be heard on Good Friday 19th of April at 6 pm in the Turku Cathedral. We will see for example soprano Hanna-Leena Haapamäki and bass Nicholas Söderlund as soloist, and Edward Ananian-Cooper conducts the orchestra.

 

Young talents and world´s top soloists in the Symphony Series

Thursday and Friday series both have eight concerts this spring. During the season we will hear young energy and world´s top soloists. The famous Christian Kluxen returns to Turku on 14.-15.2.  to conduct two evenings of the music of Adès, Rachmaninoff and Nielsen. Rachmaninoff´s “world´s most difficult” piano concerto is interpreted by Georgy Tchaidze.

In the concert Muse and Poet 28th of February young talents will perform. The Roozeman siblings, violinist Rebecca Roozeman and cellist Jonathan Roozeman perform Saint-Saëns´ fascinating duo work Muse and Poet. Taavi Oramo conducts the orchestra. On Friday 8th of March Etienne Boudreault, the orchestra´s principal bassoon, will climb on the stage as soloist. He will perform Carl Maria von Weber´s classic bassoon concerto in F-major.

In April two top names of their instrument will perform with the TPO. On Friday 12th of April conductor and trumpet player Håkan Hardenberger, known as a pioneer of his instrument and for his phenomenal performances and innovations, offers up a programme including both classical and popular music. The other top name in April is percussionist Simone Rubino. He interprets James MacMillan´s compelling work Veni, veni, Emmanuel. Winner of the 2018 Malko Competition Ryan Bancroft conducts the orchestra.

 

Julian Rachlin brings romantic repertoire

Principal Guest Conductor Julian Rachlin performs twice this spring in Turku. On Thursday and Friday 24.–25.1. he performs as conductor and violinist and interprets Felix Mendelssohn´s violin concerto in e-minor. We will also hear Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven´s works in the concert. On March 14th and 15th he performs with Boris Brovtsyn. In the concert we will hear a program of romantic era composers´ works.

 

May Day with Paula Koivuniemi

The 1st of May concert at 3 pm in the Concert Hall is bubbling of joy. The concert features songs from Paula Koivuniemi´s new album entitled Elämästä, released in May 2018. The programme also includes some of Paula Koivuniemi’s greatest hits from across the decades and evergreen tunes in magnificent symphonic arrangements.

 

For children and youth

Children´s Music Festival is celebrated next year on 18.3.–24.3.2019. Turku Philharmonic Orchestra will take children to the adventures of Hilla and Liisi on Thursday 21st of March at 6 pm in the Concert Hall. Hilla and Liisi is a tale composed by seasoned music educators Mari Kätkä, Ulla Piispanen and Tuomas Kesälä, with visual design by award-winning graphic artist Sari Airola. It is both an adventure tale and a first introduction to the world of orchestral music for children. In addition to this, on Sunday 10th of February Satu Simolas Mouse – a musical tale is heard in the Children´s Music Salon.

 

Chamber music series by musicians

Four concerts are featured in the spring´s chamber music series. The series begins on Sunday 27th January in Turku Castle with music of German romanticism. In the Sibelius Museum 3rd of March we will hear music from different centuries. In the Betel Church 7th of April a program with music of Thomas Adès, Gioachino Rossini, Franz Schubert and François Couperin is featured.  The series end with French composers´ music in the Turku Castle in5th of May.  Musicians of the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra have planned the concerts.

Programme for the Music in the Cathedral –concert 7th of February is also made by the musicians. We will hear brilliance of Baroque music and see Juha-Pekka Vikman and Maija Kontunen, violin, Vesa-Pekka Kopakkala and Megumi Nakazawa, trumpet as well as Anu Honkanen, piccolo, as soloists.

Conductor Klaus Mäkelä in Turku!

9.11.2018 08.50

Klaus Mäkelä pits Finland against Russia in concert Finland - Russia, Thursday and Friday 15.-16. November at 7 pm in the Concert Hall. Zinovjev is one of the most interesting names in the field of Finnish contemporary music. He writes music of grand emotions, and Batteria is no exception. Melartin’s Fifth Symphony has its roots in Finnish National Romanticism. Both Zinovjev and Melartin were influenced by Russian music, and it is thus appropriate that the concert concludes with Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony, which has been a favourite with audiences ever since being rapturously received at its premiere in Leningrad.

The length of the concert is approx. 2 h.

Finland – Russia in Turku Concert Hall Thu and Fri 15.–16.11.2018 at 7 pm. Online concert Thu 15.11 at 7 pm. Klaus Mäkelä, dconductor, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra. Zinovjev – Melartin – Shohstakovich. Tickets 25,50/20,50/9,50 €.

Over 5400 8th Art Testers get to experience The Nutcracker

26.10.2018 15.35

Taidetestaajat (Art Testers) is a project funded by The Finnish Cultural Foundation and The Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland. For three years the project provides all 8th graders two visits in different art institutes. Last year TPO invited Art Testers to experience Hector Berlioz´Symphonie Fantastique. This year Art Testers will experience Tchaikovkys´s The Nutcracker.

The darker original version of the story underlying Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet Nutcracker is brought to life by the Turku Philharmonic and the Aura of Puppets. In the story by E.T.A. Hoffmann, a girl named Clara has a wonderful dream on Christmas Eve, featuring giant mice and gingerbread soldiers, and also a living nutcracker. Staged here through the means of contemporary puppet theatre, this production is visually gorgeous and focuses on themes relevant for viewers of all ages, besides creating a new kind of stage aesthetic by combining various art forms. The length of the concert is approx. 1 h, no intermission.

Important co-operative partner in Art Testers project is Turun AMK:n Taideakatemia (Art Academy of Turku University of Applied Sciences). The students of Arts Academy will be producing the before- and after assignments.

The concerts are part of Aura of Puppets´TIP-fest: 7.-11.11.2018, www.auraofpuppets.com/tipfest.

Christmas dreams with Mari Palo and TPO

23.10.2018 13.46

In Turku Philharmonic Orchestra’s Christmas concert we will hear Christmas’ classic tones as well as the newer ones. In this concert will see versatile repertoire of different kinds of Christmas songs. As a soloist performs magnificent soprano Mari Palo. In the first half of the concert we hear Sibelius, Kaski and Palmgren’s Christmas songs and in the second half American evergreens.

Awarded soprano Mari Palo has gave concerts around the world. She has appeared as a guest in Vantaa pop orchestra’s Christmas album “Christmas sparkle”. Mari admits to be a Christmas person, for whom the Christmas music is very important.

- I like Christmas time a lot and I listen a lot of Christmas music. My all-time-favourites are Frank Sinatra’s Christmas album and, of course, J. S. Bach’s Christmas oratorio, the latter one I prefere to listen to live.   

For many people Christmas is the time of music, traditions and memories. In Christmas dream -concerts we hear songs that have been related to Christmas for decades. Also for Mari, the traditions are important. The iconic Snowman-animation is an important part of her Christmas too.

- From my early childhood I have watched Snowman-animation from TV. However, in recent years I have had so much to do before Christmas Peace Declaration, that I’ve almost missed the animation.

Christmas dream -concerts are conducted by Erkki Lasonpalo. The length of the concert is approx. 2 h, and there will be an intermission. The tickets are on sale – now it’s time to buy yours!

Christmas dream in Turku Concert Hall on Thursday 13th and Friday 14th of December at 7 p.m.

Music for autumn

22.10.2018 09.26

The most interesting concerts of the remainder of the year are conducted by Klaus Mäkelä, Janne Nisonen and Magnus Lindberg. Mäkelä has compiled a programme where Finland and Russia square off. The programme of the concerts on Thursday and Friday 15–16 November features Sauli Zinovjev, Erkki Melartin and Dmitri Shostakovich.

Nisonen leads the audience to a philosophers’ symposium on Thursday 22 November. On the programme are Symphony no. 22 by Joseph Haydn, sub-titled ‘The Philosopher’, Serenade after Plato’s Symposium by Leonard Bernstein and the Third Symphony of Johannes Brahms. The soloist is the rapidly rising violinist Tami Pohjola.

On Thursday and Friday 29–30 November, composer-conductor Magnus Lindberg and clarinet virtuoso Kari Kriikku present a quirky and fascinating programme of new and modern music: The Unanswered Question by Charles Ives, the playful virtuoso Clarinet Concerto by Kimmo Hakola, the lovely and meditative Melodien by György Ligeti and Magnus Lindberg’s Tempus fugit, which was extremely well received at its premiere by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra on 6 December 2017. These concerts also celebrate the 60th birthdays of Lindberg and Hakola, which are this summer. A Head Start Special will be held in the upper foyer of the Concert Hall from 17.30, exploring the evening’s programme and phenomena in contemporary music with the performers.

Finland - Russia 15.-16.11.
Philosophers´Symposium 22.11.
Layered Time 29.-30.11.

 

TPO and Egotrippi perform together in January

8.10.2018 16.25

Turku Philharmonic Orchestra and Egotrippi will unite their forces on Thursday 31st of January 2019 in Turku Concert Hall. The concert is a sequel to Egotrippi’s 25-year-old-anniversary tour “Aina matkalla jonnekin”. The band’s previous performances with Finnish orchestras have received an enthusiastic reception and the concerts have been performed to full houses.

During its career, Egotrippi has sold double-platinum, platinum and gold and is known for its hits “Älä koskaan ikinä”, “Matkustaja” and “Unihiekkaa”. During the unique night will see Egotrippi perform around 20 songs from its large production in orchestral arrangements. Egotrippi’s guitar and singing fronted pop- and rock music combined to the rich soundscape raises the songs to the next level. The artistic director of the concert is Pessi Levanto. Besides Levanto, the arrangements are written by Marzi Nyman, Lasse Enersen, Arttu Takalo, Anssi Växby and Sami Pitkämö. The concert is conducted by Antti Rissanen.

Egotrippi’s Knipi sums up the feelings of the band: “Co-operation with a big orchestra has been a whole new thing for us, and so these concerts have been a great leap to the unknown. I wait excitedly, but also very eagerly our upcoming concert with Antti Rissanen and Turku Philharmonic. Already our performances with orchestra at Helsinki Festival made me got shivers down my spine. We wanted to make this ambitiously. We gave free hands to arrangers whom we appreciate and Pessi Levanto a full authority to work as an artistic director. We wanted to put ourselves out there so that we could achieve something new and great to the arrangements as the basic idea of ​​the song would remain loyal to original. Repertoire is planned very carefully. Naturally, we will play our most well-known hits but also songs we haven’t played in years.”

As for Pessi Levanto comments: “Egotrippi’s songs are strong, traditional handmade pop-songs, which offer many possibilities to the arranger to use the symphony orchestra. And still, the songs always as if play itself.”

Turku Philharmonic Orchestra’s chief executive Maati Rehor considers that musical boundaries crossing co-operation is very important nowadays: “Music consumption is changed and many of the audience listen fluently both rock and classical music - so do I. As a great Egotrippi-fan I was very convinced when I heard this concert at Helsinki Festival. I’m very pleased to have the band for TPO’s guest.”

Egotrippi, who started its 25-anniversary tour in 2018, performed for the first time in 1993. In 2003 the band got its first gold record for the album called “Matkustaja”. 20 hits -compilation which was released a year later sold already platinum and the song “Matkustaja” was awarded with the best home song Emma-statue. With their sixth album ”Vielä koittaa uusi aika”, the band achieved number one at the chart. “Maailmanloppua odotellessa” was released in 2008 and it was awarded with three Emma-statues. Egotrippi is Mikki Kauste, singing and keyboards, Knipi, singing and guitar, Skele, guitar, Anssi Maasalo, bass and singing, and Risto Niinikoski, drums and singing.

Antti Rissanen is a diversified musician. He is known as a trombonist, composer, arranger, teacher as well as a conductor. He completed his degree as a doctor of music from Sibelius Academy in spring 2015. Rissanen was only 15 when he started his career as a conductor. He paid his first visit to Turku Philharmonic Orchestra in 2009. Afterwards he has often been seen in front of the orchestra.

Pessi Levanto is a pianist, an arranger and a composer. He has composed music for movies, television and ochestras and made orchestra arrangements of Classical Trancelations -concert amongst others. Levanto is one of the most promising Finnish movie composers and he is familiar with both classical and jazz/rock -genres.

Egotrippi & TPO at Turku Concert Hall, Thu 31st of January at 7 pm.  Antti Rissanen, conductor, Egotrippi, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra. Tickets 34 / 29 / 18,50 €. Ticket sale begins 16th of October 2018 at 9 am.  

A concert full of Beethoven´s rarities

5.10.2018 10.04

Leif Segerstam, conductor
Reetta Haavisto, soprano
Juha Kotilainen, bass
Chorus Cathedralis Aboensis

Ludwig van Beethoven:
Die Ruinen von Athen op. 113
Es ist vollbracht (Die Ehrenproften WoO 97)
Kantate auf den Tod Kaiser Josephs II, WoO 87

Dedicated to Beethoven, the most influential Viennese Classical and early Romantic composer, this concert features some of his less well known vocal works. Es is vollbracht (It is fulfilled) provides a grand opening. Die Ruinen von Athen (The Ruins of Athens) is a similarly grandiose suite of incidental music to the play by August von Kotzebue. Kantate auf den Tod Kaiser Josephs II (Cantata on the death of Emperor Joseph II) was written by Beethoven at the age of 19 but was not premiered until after the composer’s death, in 1884.

Virtuaalikonserttikiertue palvelutaloissa alkaa

27.9.2018 12.53

Turun filharmoninen orkesteri aloittaa maanantaina 8.10. Virtuaalikonserttikiertueen palvelutaloissa. Yhteensä kymmeneen palvelutaloon jalkautuvassa kiertueessa tutustutaan yhdessä orkesterin verkkokonsertteihin ja tuodaan palvelua tutuksi. Tilaisuuden juontaa kulttuurituottaja Olli Hirvonen. Tilaisuudessa on lisäksi mukana muusikkovieras, vuorotellen joko TFO:n konserttimestari Juha-Pekka Vikman tai sellon varaäänenjohtaja Katja Kolehmainen. Esityksen aikana kuullaan livemusiikkia ja muusikkohaastattelu sekä katsotaan yhdessä verkkokonserttiarkistosta osa Antonio Vivaldin Neljä vuodenaikaa -teoksesta ja Jean Sibeliuksen Finlandiasta. Lisäksi paikan päällä on Turun kaupungin vapaa-aikatoimialan digineuvonnan piste. Esityksen kesto on 30 minuuttia ja tilaisuuden kokonaiskesto tunnin. Vapaa pääsy.

Kiertueen kaikki paikat:

Vko 41
Ma 8.10. klo 13.30 Runosmäen vanhuskeskus
Ke 10.10. klo 13.30 Lehmusvalkaman
hyvinvointikeskus
To 11.10. klo 14.00 Ruusukorttelin
hyvinvointikeskus
Pe 12.10. klo 13.30 Kerttulin vanhuskeskus

Vko 42
Ti 16.10. klo 13.30 Mäntyrinteen vanhuskeskus

Vko 44
Ke 31.10. klo 14.00 Kaskenlinnan sairaala
To 1.11. klo 13.00 Palvelutalo Kotikunnas

Vko 45
Ma 5.11. klo 14.30 Palvelutalo Iso-Heikki
Ke 7.11. klo 14.30 Palvelutalo Myllykoti
To 8.11. klo 14.30 Liinahaan vanhuskeskus

Iconic music from Horror movies

27.9.2018 12.50

Horror! All it takes is a few ominous notes to send shivers down the spine of even the most steel-nerved listener. This programme of music from horror films will have you glued to your seat, with iconic selections from The Omen, The Exorcist, Carrie and Poltergeist, and also from the TV series Walking Dead and Penny Dreadful. Brace yourself as we descend into demonic madness, grotesque evil and your darkest fears.

‘The Horror’ is the orchestra’s fourth joint venture concert with Underscore Productions Oy, the previous highly successful concerts having featured music from video games (2014), fantasy films (2015) and sci-fi films (2016).
This concert is not recommended for children in 3rd grade or younger.

Salome

24.9.2018 08.58

Leif Segerstam´s era ends with concert version performances of the opera Salome 16.–17.5.2019

Concert season 2018–2019 will be Leif Segerstam’s last as a chief conductor of the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra. The season will start with Heavenly Life -concerts on 6th and 7th of September. Richard Strauss’ Salome-opera will be performed as a conclusion of Segerstam’s artistic period.

Maestro will turn 75 on 2nd of March in 2019. His period as a chief conductor of Turku Philharmonic Orchestra started in 2012 and will end in May 2019. During his period as a chief conductor Segerstam has contributed remarkably to the artistic level and image of the orchestra. With TPO Segerstam has recorded Sibelius’ most rare works and all Brahms’ four symphonies amongst others. In addition, during this period exhaustive recording series Beethoven Complete will be completed.

Due to its daring subject and tone language, Richard Strauss’ Salome had a strong reception by the time it was released. The work is strong, dramatic and passionate. The most well-known scene of the opera is “Dance of the Seven Veils”, in which Salome is dancing for Herodes. As a service in return Salome wants Jochanaan’s head, for which she’s madly and fiercely in love. The opera culminates in the scene where Herodes has had Jochanaan executed and the head is brought to Salome.

Turku Philharmonic Orchestra will perform opera’s concert version on Thursday 16th and Friday 17th on May in 2019 at 7pm at The Concert Hall. The ticket sale will start on Monday 24th of September 2018. For the first time, the role of Salome is played by soprano Anu Komsi. In the other main roles we will see Finnish top singers, such as Tommi Hakala in the role of Jochanaan.

“I debuted my previous big Strauss-role, role as Zerbinetta, also in Turku, at Turku Music Festival with conductor Leif Segerstam in 1994. Now I’m so excited that I will finally get on stage as Salome, with one of the best Richard Strauss -conductors, Leif Segerstam” tells Anu Komsi.

”Welcome - this is a candy opera! Everyone likes this. Strauss was very good at describing women’s psychology and subconscious in his music”, tells Leif Segerstam and continues: ”Salome was my first opera in Savonlinna in 1970 – it was a pleasant task and the audience liked the interpretation of a young star. I have performed Salome in The Vienna State Opera, Zürich, Cologne, Salzburg Festival and The Royal Swedish Opera. In addition, 2019 is a Strauss year – it marks the 70th anniversary of the composer´s death.

Leif Segerstam is one of the most versatile composers in Scandinavia – a conductor, a composer, a violinist and a pianist. World-famous Leif Segerstam is officiated as a conductor and a chief conductor in numerous well-known opera houses and symphony orchestras, such as in The Royal Swedish Opera, The Deutsche Oper Berlin, The Vienna State Opera and Austria’s and Denmark’s Radio Symphony Orchestras. He has made the executive visits for The Metropolitan Orchestra, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden and La Scala amongst others. Segerstam’s outstanding list of compositions includes, for instance, 310 symphonies. His impressive and splendid career has received recognition with numerous awards. In 2014 the President of the Republic of Finland granted Segerstam a title of a professor.

Anu Komsi is one of Finland’s most international colorature sopranos, who has carved a name in world’s biggest opera houses and significant concert stages. During her opera career Komsi has sung on Europe’s and America’s well-known opera stages and festivals, such as La Scala in Milan, The Opéra Bastille in Paris and Salzburg Festival. In addition, Komsi is an artistic director of Kokkola Opera. For Komsi, this is the first role as Salome.

Salome in Turku Concert Hall, Thu 16th and Fri 17thof May 2019 at 7pm. Leif Segerstam, conductor, Anu Komsi, Salome, Tommi Hakala, Jochanaan, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra. Ticket sale opens 24th of September 2018.