Kimmo Kuokkala

"The takeaway from this album is its enormous range of tonal colour and mood. This is remarkable, considering that it was created entirely without electronics. Kumela can produce an astonishing variety of bumps, scrapes, squeaks, creaks and pitched sounds from his guitar."

The Tampere Biennale once again showcased a broad spectrum of new music from home and abroad. Instead of the mainstream, the festival focused on the margins of creative musical art and explored interfaces between branches of the arts.

In April 2018 the Tampere Biennale festival of contemporary Finnish music will highlight “free radicals”. Bringing together contemporary music enthusiasts and professionals, this year’s Biennale showcases artistic freedom, fringe art, artistic interaction and a record number of new works.

The Tampere Biennale celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Launched in 1986 and held in April in even-numbered years, its profile is that of a domestic review of contemporary classical music, with commissioned works and premieres. It alternates with Musica nova Helsinki, which is more international in content and is held in odd-numbered years.