instrument building

Based in northern Finland, Partones is engaged in processing natural fibres to develop alternative materials for instrument builders. The underlying idea is that we do not need to lose the tradition of the craft nor compromise on the quality of materials even if at some point we are no longer able to use the original, now endangered materials.

Collaborations between visual artists and musicians are leading music as an artform into new territories. Music gets conceptualised and finds new forms when contemporary artists and music professionals join forces.

Harpsichord, viol, recorder... many instruments are associated with a specific epoch and its music. Why could they not be contemporary instruments?

Born of birch and handicraft, Kumu drums are earning fans around the world.

Should musicians living in an era of climate crisis think about the ecological sustainability of their instruments? Can they afford to ignore the whole thing? Do choices matter? And where does the wood come from, anyway?

The jouhikko, a traditional bowed lyre that represents a dead end in the evolution of musical instruments, is enjoying a renaissance not only in Finland but internationally too. Jouhikkos are being played and built as far afield as in the Americas, by amateurs and professional instrument makers alike. But what should a jouhikko actually look and sound like? What are the ideals governing its development? Jouhikko virtuoso Ilkka Heinonen adds his two cents.

Microtonal classical music comes across as a nerdy pastime operating in the margins between "real notes," and with good reason. An experimental microtonal instrument is typically encircled by a close-knit community of musicians and composers who are unable to evangelise their discoveries because of difficulties in playing technique or other challenges. However, in recent years so many microtonal instruments have been developed and adopted in Finland that the colourful world between the notes is finally opening up to wider audiences.