Stories by

"Most of the time, I am far from Sibelius’s – and my own – homeland and on neutral territory, i.e. alone with my scores. But it is there, between the lines, that I am struck by something I cannot explain. I don’t, however, think it is just a national trait, because all over the world I meet people similarly affected by this remarkable music."

A study published by the Foundation for Cultural Policy Research Cupore in 2013 investigated the importance of central government transfers for Finnish orchestras, using as its research material the financial statements and annual reports of orchestras and a survey carried out among orchestra managers.

"Finnish actress Irina Björklund, now based in France, has been translating songs Finns love into French. Some songs on her second such album, La vie est une fête, are from the 1950s, but there are newer classics too."

"Olli Mustonen made his mark as both pianist and composer in his early teens, showing astonishing maturity in both capacities. But recordings have not kept up with his output promptly enough to allow the outside world to form a clear image of his development as composer: it has been 13 years since a CD of his music was last released, and he has written two symphonies in that time."

"The members of the AR Quartet are young. (-) Still, the touch is mature to a degree that makes their self-titled album one of the strongest jazz debuts from Finland in many years."

"Combining influences like Finnish tango, Balkan music and Finnish pelimanni music isn’t easy, but they get it all to sound like just Sväng music. On their fourth studio record, I feel more pelimanni music presence than in a long time."

The groundbreaking folk wind ensemble Wind on Wind will surprise even wind music sceptics with their versatile music.

Pekka Kuusisto is an explorer on whose world map music has no borders. He is equally at home in concert halls and cosy clubs. The joy of music is in interaction. For the rapidly ageing world of classical music, personalities like Kuusisto are oases in a desert.

The Tampere Biennale, this year being held on 9–13 April, is the festival that shows where Finnish contemporary classical music is at. This is the second festival for composer Olli Virtaperko as Artistic Director.