Stories by

Avanti! was formed – with an exclamation mark – in April 1983. At that time, Finland was ruled by Urho Kekkonen and Finnish music by Joonas Kokkonen. Consensus was the name of the game, and any deviation was regarded as childish provocation.

"This album is focused more on the beautifully melodic and lyrical side to a surprising extent. The compositions are so strong that it is probably the right decision to construct the album around them and to let the melodies speak for themselves."

"The extensive output for male choir of Toivo Kuula (1883–1918) inspired two Finnish male choirs to release a complete recording on the occasion of the 130th anniversary of his birth. This allows for a tantalising direct comparison..."

Three internationally acclaimed Finnish choreographers - Marjo Kuusela, Kenneth Kvarnström and Tero Saarinen - describe how movement and music engage in dialogue in their dance works.

Schubert plays while you are threatened at gunpoint. A Saami yoik is refined into Japanese temple music. The soundscape for Le sacre du printemps is created from the rasping breathing of dancers. The sounds of contemporary dance works increasingly occupy a no-man’s-land between conventional composition and sound art.

"Pekka Kuusisto astounds the listener once again with his agility in Lindberg’s Violin Concerto (2006), a virtuoso work that is one of his most successful scores."

"How does a performance by three dancers merge with, differ from, complement or disagree with an enormous symphonic monolith? After all, Shostakovich’s Leningrad Symphony has already been interpreted, explained and provided with a note-by-note narrative time and time again. Personal Symphonic Moment by Elina Pirinen embraces the challenge."

"Our Nation is musically relaxed and witty. Shine 2009 know their musical history yet reach forward in a way that might reflect the way Pykäri and Suova would like Finland circa 2013 to be."

A Sixth Symphony, orchestral solo songs, an organ concerto, sonatas for most wind instruments, six new string quartets… not to speak of a world-embracing opera plan and ideas about making a computer clone of oneself.