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"Johanna Juhola is a confident accordion star who has created her own unique style. Despite shining the limelight on the accordion, her music portrays a strong vision beyond just one instrument."

"Originally classically trained, J-P Piirainen takes his influences not just from Finnish folk, but from American fingerpicking styles too and flamenco. It’s an album for guitar lovers as well as folk fans."

"Päivi Hirvonen approaches music with focus and attitude, but then lets it speak for itself. Her music-making is quite intimate but at times incorporates a lot of different layers, expanding herself into an orchestra or a choir."

"Stop! Listen! The tempi and moods keep changing, but the familiar and tested combination forms the backbone of Wimme and Rinne's new album, Human."

After three solo albums in the jazz-rock vein and a colourful career that has taken him from jazz to power metal and beyond, Lauri Porra is preparing to introduce the world to his new classical venture Entropia. He is the great-grandson of Jean Sibelius and he feels all borders between music genres are artificial or arbitrary.

Lauri Porra reveals in the first sentence of his booklet commentary that he is the great-grandson of Jean Sibelius – but it’s more by way of explaining his musical background than to trade on the relationship.

"In some ways Frost on Fiddles is a test of Frigg’s musical strength and spirit and it questions whether a band can survive changes in personnel and the pressures of the brilliant up-and-coming younger generation of Finnish musicians."

The Turku City Theatre’s original musical depicts Touko Laaksonen’s artistic success while also addressing the painful history of homosexuals in Finland and celebrating difference, acceptance, love and sex.

Issues of gender balance, diversity and cultural appropriation have become increasingly prominent in many areas recently, and art music is no exception. Lauri Supponen discusses these issues, using certain Nordic contemporary music festivals and projects as case studies.