Paavali Jumppanen

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

We have come a long way from the days when audiences at concerts of contemporary music consisted of a tiny handful of dedicated professionals. This was the inevitable conclusion when looking at the size and structure of audiences at this year’s Musica nova Helsinki festival. There were several concerts where people actually had to be turned away, and the audience base ranged far beyond the diehard contemporary music enthusiasts.

"Jumppanen’s performances of Beethoven combine analysis, passion, stylistic awareness and a fresh approach. There are hundreds of Beethoven recordings out there, but this is one that was definitely worth releasing."