Lapland

The ensemble calling itself Tuubakimalainen [Tuba Bumblebee] originated in a simple question voiced over coffee in the basement of the Music Centre in Lahti in 2012: Why don’t all citizens have equal access to cultural services? This led to the idea of a touring orchestra performing music for everyone. The emergent ensemble embarked on a mission to travel around Finland, with special emphasis on the far north.

How does the latitude of Finland affect creativity among musicians, aesthetically and politically? Andrew Mellor asked some Finns, non-Finns and almost-Finns…

Growing up in roughly beautiful Lapland has affected Outi Tarkiainen’s personality and her voice as a composer. For her, music is almost like a force of nature, which can change people and their destinies. Andrew Mellor met Tarkiainen in Rovaniemi, just as she had finished her song-cycle The Earth, Spring’s Daughter.