Saturday, October 30, 2010

All Days - Kuhmo International Chamber Music Festival 2010 Summary

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This photo epitomises my Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival 2010: The artistic 
director Vladimir Mendelssohn, a viola player, cycling in the busiest intersection of 
the Kuhmo town, the location of one of the foremost classical music festivals of 
the world. Here are we, some hundred kilometres from the nearest airport/train 
station, in the middle of a taiga forest, in the remote North, where the winters 
are cold and harsh (and summers like this one, so sublime); and where, for the 
two weeks in every July the past 40 years now, and hopefully for another 40 Julys 
into the future, you can immerse yourself in the finest music you could wish for.

And why is this photo important for me: it's because the festival itself is so low 
key in the best possible way. The management, the staff, the volunteers, the 
performers, the locals, the visitors, the environment: they all contribute to the 
utmost enjoyment for being a part of this most unique music event. You do feel 
welcome, and you do become part of the 'spirit of Kuhmo'.

Here's my bouquet of the blossoming banana plant (I'm from Sydney Australia, 
and it's the most beautiful spring here) to honour everybody involved in this 
massive and wonderful event:











Before acknowledging some (I'm sure I'm missing many!) parties involved in 
making this magnificent event possible, and so enjoyable, here's a summary of 
my previous blog posts of the event, in order of arriving in Kuhmo in early July, 
to leaving in bliss, after two weeks of one in a lifetime event:

However, I hope to be back sooner than later!



Arriving in Kuhmo:
http://theridoureport.blogspot.com/2010/10/kuhmo-international-chamber-music.htm

Next day:
http://theridoureport.blogspot.com/2010/10/kuhmo-international-chamber-music_09.html

Sunday - the opening, and Monday, the first full-on day:
http://theridoureport.blogspot.com/2010/10/kuhmo-international-chamber-music_10.html


Tuesday
http://theridoureport.blogspot.com/2010/10/kuhmo-international-chamber-music_11.htm

Wednesday
http://theridoureport.blogspot.com/2010/10/kuhmo-international-chamber-music_18.html

Thursday
http://theridoureport.blogspot.com/2010/10/kuhmo-international-chamber-music_21.html

Friday
http://theridoureport.blogspot.com/2010/10/kuhmo-international-chamber-music_22.html

Saturday
http://theridoureport.blogspot.com/2010/10/kuhmo-international-chamber-music_23.html


Sunday
http://theridoureport.blogspot.com/2010/10/kuhmo-international-chamber-music_24.html

Week 2 - Monday
http://theridoureport.blogspot.com/2010/10/kuhmo-international-chamber-music_6963.html

Tuesday
http://theridoureport.blogspot.com/2010/10/kuhmo-international-chamber-music_326.html

Wednesday
http://theridoureport.blogspot.com/2010/10/kuhmo-international-chamber-music_25.html

Thursday
http://theridoureport.blogspot.com/2010/10/day-12-kuhmo-international-chamber.html

Friday
http://theridoureport.blogspot.com/2010/10/day-13-kuhmo-international-chamber.html

Saturday - 24 July, the last day:
http://theridoureport.blogspot.com/2010/10/day-14-kuhmo-international-chamber.html







Thanks to Vladimir Mendelssohn for the exciting program and to Sari Rusanen for the administration of the Festival.








Thank you Kaija Saariaho for your sublime music as the invited composer for the 
first week of the festival (Krzystzof Penderecki was the featured composer for the 
second week). And hello to you again, Silvia (Colasanti). By the way, visiting 
composers could be more visible in the program notes; Sari, maybe you can 
feature them more prominently in the next one!








Thank you Mr Kähkönen for providing us for our timber cabin accommodation by 
the secluded Saunajärvi (Sauna Lake)






Thank you the town of Kuhmo: amongst other things you have the most 
impressive library (left), Juminkeko Kalevala organisation and Petola Nature 
Centre.










And thank you for all the great food we had in Kuhmo (most often we had fish at 
the temporary festival tent cafe...- the pie below is from K-Market)









And thank you all the lovely people we met at the festival...














And thank you all the wonderful performers - you made the music come alive:




Alberto Mesirca, Andrea Rucli, Alexander Gebert, Andrei Pushkarev, Andras Adorjan



Angelika Klas, Antti Tikkanen, Ardeo Quartet, Ashley Wass, Atte Kilpeläinen



Aurelié Deschamps, Bart van de Roer, Blanca Gleisner, Carole Petitdemange, Caroline Donin



Carsten Shmidt, Chilingirian Quartet, Christoffer Sundqvist, Constantin Bogdanas, Dalia Stasevska



Dan Zhu, Danel Quartet, Daniel Bonilla-Torres, Daniel Rowland, Danielis Rubinas



Daniil Grishin, David Cohen, David Geringas, Dorel Fodoreanu, Eeva-Kaisa Rönkä



Elina Vähälä, Enescu Quartet, Esa Tapani, Eva Bindere, Florian Szigeti



Francesco Pedrini, Frans Helmerson, Gidon Kremer, Giedre Dirvanauskaite, Hagai Shaham



Hartmut Rohde, Heini Kärkkäinen, Henrik Sandås, Hevré Joulain, Iiro Rantala



Ilya Gringolts, Irina Zahharenkova, Jaakko Luoma, James Wilson, Janne Thomsen



Jeni Packalén, Jens Peter Maintz, Joëlle Martinez, Joona Pulkkinen, Jordi Savall



Juhani Lagerspetz, Jukka-Pekka Kuusela, Junio Kimanen, Kazunori Seo, Khatia Buniatishvili



Konstantin Bogino, Kremerata Baltica, Gidon Kremer, Laura Mikkola, Levon Chilingirian



Lilli Maijala, Lionel Peintre, Marc Vossen, Martin Alvarado, Martti Rousi



Matilda Kärkkäinen, Meta4 Quartet, Mi-Sa Yang, Michel Lethiec, Michelangelo Quartet



Mihaela Martin, Mikael Kemppainen, Minna Pensola, Natacha Kudritskaya, Niall Chorell



Niek de Groot, Nobuko Imai, Odile Simon, Olivia Hughes, Olli-Pekka Tuomisalo



Paavali Jumppanen, Pasi Pirinen, Pekka Kuusisto, Priya Mitchell, Quadrion Quartet



Robert Expert, Roope Gröndahl, Salomé Haller, Sebastian Fagerlund, Shigeko Hata



Siljamari Heikinheimo, Stephen Picard, Storioni Trio, Susie Mészaros, Svetlin Roussev



Thomas Riebl, Tiina Lindfors, Tim Ferchen, Tomas Djupsjöbacka, Trey Lee



Tuija-Maija Nurminen, Tuomas Katajala, Tuomas Lehto, Ula Ulijona, Valeria Resjan



Valerié Hartmann-Claverie, Valtteri Malmivirta, Vanessa Szigeti, Vasile Pantir, Vera Lindroos



Vladimir Mendelssohn, Waltteri Torikka, Wouter Vossen, Yuval Gotlibovich






Friday, October 29, 2010

Day 14 - Kuhmo International Chamber Music Festival 2010

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The last day.





















Flautist Blanca Gleisner.











One of the busy stage hands.











Violinist Priya Mitchell, cellist David Cohen and festival artistic director,
violist Vladimir Mendelssohn.











Quick good-byes to violist Aurelie Deschamps
and pianist Natacha Kudritskaya.











_________________________________________________

SATURDAY 24.7.

Mindscapes (Epilogue)

62 11.00 Kontio School €14.50/10.50

Heartscapes

Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840–1893):

Aveu passionné in E minor for Piano 
H. Kärkkäinen


Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50 "In memory of a great artist" 
Kremer, Dirvanauskaite, Buniatishvili


63 13.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre €14.50/10.50

The (Re)construction of the Father

J.S. Bach (1685–1750)-W.A. Mozart (1756–1791):
Three Fugues, K. 405 for String Quartet 
Chilingirian Quartet


Johannes Brahms (1833-1897):
Presto in G minor after J.S. Bach for two Pianos
Kudritskaya, Kemppainen


J.S. Bach-Mendelssohn:
A Shakespeare Sonnet from Die Kunst der Fuge 
Hata, Gleisner, Deschamps, Lee, Pedrini


J.S. Bach-Salvatore Sciarrino (1947–):
Toccata in D minor BWV 565 for Amp. Flute
Thomsen


Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887–1959):
Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 for Soprano and eight Cellos 
Hata, Cohen, Lee, Pulkkinen, M. Vossen, Fodoreanu, Djupsjöbacka, Lehto, De Groot




64 15.00 Kontio School €14.50/10.50

The Fagerlund Files

W.A. Mozart (1756–1791):
Oboe Quintet in C minor, K. 406a (Kuhmo premiere)
Gleisner, Chilingirian, Meszaros, Stasevska, De Groot


Sebastian Fagerlund (1972–):
Trio "Fuel" (World Premiere, commissioned jointly by Ondine and the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival)
Sundqvist, Pulkkinen, Kemppainen


Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827):
Quintet for Flute, Violin, two Violas and Cello (Kuhmo premiere)
Thomsen, Mitchell, Mendelssohn, Deschamps, Cohen




65 17.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre €14.50/10.50

Khatia's Choice

Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849):
Ballade No. 3 in A flat, Op. 47
Scherzo No. 4 in E, Op. 54
Buniatishvili


Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21
Buniatishvili, Kremerata Baltica




66 19.00 Kontio School €14.50/10.50

Will and Wit

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827):
String Quintet in C, Op. 29 
Vähälä, F. Szigeti, Gotlibovich, Stasevska, Djupsjöbacka


Sextet in E flat, Op. 81b for two French Horns, two Violins, Viola and Cello
Tapani, Joulain, V. Szigeti, Zhu, Stasevska, Lee



67 21.15 Kuhmo Arts Centre €19.50/14

Fever

Robert Schumann (1810–1856):
Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 63
Storioni Trio


Six Studies for Pedalfluegel in Canonic Form, Op. 56 (arr. for two Pianos by
C. Debussy)
Gröndahl, Kemppainen


Claude Debussy (1862-1918):
Violin Sonata in G minor 
Shaham, Lagerspetz


Intermission

Robert Schumann:
Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 129
Kremer, Kremerata Baltica







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