Chamber Music

Hietsu is Happening! runs on the logic of improvisation, while Helsinki Seriös has ambitions to become a new cornerstone of the chamber music scene. Both are examples of how non-institutional concert organisers can foster continuity. There is plenty of demand for small-format concerts out there, even if bringing marginal music offerings and audiences together is tedious and time-consuming.

"There are gems to be discovered in this repertoire, disdained by contemporaries and marginalised by history."

"Sebastian Fagerlund's chamber works are attractive, shot through with primeval energy yet shaped with a dextrous flexibility."

"Joonatan Rautiola’s and Marko Hilpo’s duo plays with enjoyable precision and sensitivity. The lyrical qualities of the saxophone come to the fore."

"Veering from the vast, brooding and sedate [- -] to the petite, playful and sanguine [- -], the group establishes a solid interface of unique inventions."

When Finnish symphony orchestras whipped up series of chamber music recitals to fill the vacuum amidst coronavirus restrictions, claims of the inflexibility of these publicly funded institutions were thoroughly debunked. Online concerts have proved a godsend for musicians for keeping up their skills and for maintaining contact with audiences. The crisis has also demonstrated that a safe job provides a foundation for creativity. How have musicians experienced working in these extraordinary circumstances?

"The music here covers more than forty years, even if Aho’s perennial youthfulness makes that seem improbable. [- -] The performances are as full of feeling as the music, and the recorded sound is bright and immediate."

"The experience is powerful yet also exhausting, and a feat of strength for the musicians, who perform it brilliantly."

In the summer 2019, the Kuhmo Chamber Music festival celebrates its 50th anniversary. To congratulate the one-of-a-kind festival, FMQ re-publishes Anu Karlson's article exploring the festival, its history and the"Kuhmo spirit". The article was first published in FMQ 2/1996.