The Festival of the Year 2009, Time of Music, starts next week

The Festival of the Year 2009, (nominated by Finland Festivals) Time of Music, starts next week in Viitasaari for the 27th time. This year will be the first with festival’s new Artistic Director Perttu Haapanen. The festival will provide with encounters of different musics and composers, in a form of arrangements, influences, assimilation, or polemic aspects. By juxtaposing various music and traditions, the festival invites the audience to rejudge their relations. Time of Music surprises, freshens up, and brings up ideas also this year!


The theme of the festival is intertwined with the music of guest composer Michael Finnissy (b.1946). Finnissy is known to be one of his generations most unique British composers, as well as a talented pianist, and he will also visit in Finland for the very first time at the festival. Finnissy’s music will be heard e.g. at the opening concert on July 7th and at the piano recital of Ian Pace on July 9th.

In the concert of July 8th, Cultural Transpositions, the intention is to examine the meeting point of tradional Finnish zither, Japanese koto and Chinese guzheng with different countries, cultures and contemporary composers. Also, two pieces and a lecture will be heard from German composer Dieter Mack, who has profoundly oriented in gamelan-music. In addition, the Finnish chamber ensemble Uusinta, celebrating its 10th anniversary, will have two concerts. All in all, the program holds up to 14 premieres, of which four are performances heard first time in the world. Outside the concert program there will also be an international seminar, focused on the promoting of the Finnish contemporary music. Sibelius Academy's Continuing Education, Finnish Music Information Centre (Fimic), and Time of Music welcome all the interested composers, students, agents, managers, journalists, and music industry players to join the discussions.