Contemporary music meets folk at Tampere Biennale

Tampere Biennale, a festival dedicated to Finnish contemporary music, concentrates this time to the connections between contemporary classical and folk music. The theme will be explored for example in concerts by folk baroque ensemble Sama and renowned Finnish folk musicians, as well as club nights dedicated to folk music.

The five festival days, from April 16 to 20, 2008, will present over 30 Finnish composers and six world premieres. The festival has commissioned new works from Harri Wessman, Tapio Nevanlinna and Jimmy Lopez, and further premieres include works by Sebastian Fagerlund, Mikko Nisula and Sami Klemola.

The programme also includes Violin Concerto by Magnus Lindberg, performed by violinist Pekka Kuusisto and Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as Kaija Saariaho's new string quartet 'Terra Memoria', performed by Meta4 quartet. Trio Poing from Norway will have its own concert with mostly Finnish repertoire on Saturday, and the trio will perform also in a club night on Thursday with Pekka Kuusisto.

In addition to the concerts, the festival offers an art exhibition, workshops, music for children, as well as a seminar on elitism, arranged by the Society of Finnish Composers. This year's programme has been planned by composer Lotta Wennäkoski, with composer Juhani Nuorvala as her artistic advisor.

Concerts

Apr 16, 2008
Jukka Tiensuu: Tiet
Timo Alakotila: Baroque violin concerto
Sebastian Fagerlund: Sky (Premiere)
Folk Baroque Ensemble Sama

Apr 16, 2008
Etno Club: Pekko Käppi, jouhikko, Maria Kalaniemi, accordion, Olli Varis, guitar

Apr 17, 2008
Jovanka Trbojevic: Oš
Eero Hämeenniemi: Randzani
Pekka Jalkanen: Yrtti
Sanna Kurki-Suonio, voice, Elisa Kerola, kantele, James Andean, electronics

Apr 17, 2008
Esa-Pekka Salonen: Memoria
Aulis Sallinen: Quiet Songs
Harri Wessman: Imitazzioni errate (Premiere)
Veli-Matti Puumala: Soira
Veli Kujala, accordion, Zagros, cond. Mikk Murdvee

Apr 17, 2008
Etno Club: Poing, feat. Pekka Kuusisto, violin, Tundramatiks

Apr 18, 2008
Mikko Nisula: Sonata n:o 2 "Emanations" (Premiere)
Paavo Heininen: Excercises op. 60
Einojuhani Rautavaara: Ta Tou Theou
Veli Kujala: Cyclone
Sami Klemola: New work for microtonal accordion and organ (Premiere)
Veli Kujala, accordion, Susanne Kujala, organ

Apr 18, 2008
Seminar: Elitism - do we really need it?

Apr 18, 2008
Markus Fagerudd: Black’n’white rhyme
Juhani Nuorvala: Surface and Phrase (Finnish Premiere)
W.A. Mozart: Don Giovanni overture
Magnus Lindberg: Violin Concerto
Pekka Kuusisto, violin, Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Ernesto Martinez Izquierdo

Apr 18, 2008
Electron Club: Kuupuu, Pepe Deluxé

Apr 19, 2008
Folk Baroque Ensemble Sama

Apr 19, 2008
Icebreakers: A day of art for the whole family
Music by Lotta Wennäkoski

Apr 19, 2008
Workshop: Otto Romanowski

Apr 19, 2008
Carita Holmström: Catacombs
Kaija Saariaho: Terra Memoria
Jouni Kaipainen: String quartet n:o 5 op 70
Meta4 (Minna Pensola, Antti Tikkanen, violin, Atte Kilpeläinen, viola, Tomas Djupsjöbacka, cello)

Apr 19, 2008
Maja Ratkje: essential extensions
Ere Lievonen: Maa-lika
Jimmy López – Paul Williams: Incubus (Premiere)
Atli Ingolfsson: Composition
Trio Poing (Frode Haltli, accordion, Rolf-Erik Nystrøm, saxophone, Håkon Thelin, double bass)

Apr 19, 2008
Electron Club: Haltya, Headphonics, Neum

Apr 20, 2008
Johanna Eränkö: Satusavua
Teemu Tommola: Arnolfinin kihlaus
Juho Miettinen: 3 osaa sarjasta Viisi laulua Aaro Hellaakosken runoihin
Tapio Nevanlinna: Punaiset poijut (Premiere)
Juhani Komulainen: Matka Eedeniin
Jaakko Mäntyjärvi: Canticum Calamitatis Maritimae
Mikko Heiniö: Kolme kansanlaulua kaksoissekakuorolle op. 28
Veljo Tormis: Inkerin illat
Näsin Ääni chamber choir, cond. Kari Turunen

Apr 16 - Apr 20, 2008
Sami Klemola: Brainwash
(interactive installation)

Merja Hottinen/Fimic
27 March, 2008