The Ridou Report: All Days - Kuhmo International Chamber Music Festival 2010 Summary

Saturday, October 30, 2010

All Days - Kuhmo International Chamber Music Festival 2010 Summary

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!

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

Saturday, October 30, 2010

All Days - Kuhmo International Chamber Music Festival 2010 Summary

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