Nostalgia Lane

Steiner education, is based on the educational philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Anthroposophy. Its pedagogy strives to develop pupils' intellectual, artistic, and practical skills in an integrated and holistic manner. The cultivation of pupils' imagination and creativity is a central focus.

I'm very happy I was given the opportunity to go to a Steiner school for all my basic education 1995-2008. We did a lot of theatre and it's now 20 years ago that I wrote music to one of our first plays "Ronja Rövardotter", that time aged 11. I got the opportunity to paint, do wood work, internship on an organic farm, biology trip to Lapland, cultural class excursion to Portugal... to name only a few things during my 13 years.

But the best part was of course to be part of a idealistic school full of wonderful people whom I since then can call friends, real friends.

And idealism has stayed with me as much as with the Steiner school, so I was very happy to get the opportunity today to watch classes 5&6 from the Helsinki Steiner School perform "Djurens planet", a opera about treating animals and other humans well, at the Finnish National Opera. A lot of things change with time, but some things never do - let's keep trying to make this world a better place. ❤️

Photo by Marthe Veian

"Our house is on fire"

"Our house is on fire. I'm here to say our house is on fire." -Greta Thunberg

My new piece "Requiem for our Earth" for female choir and electronics contains parts of Gretas speech in Davos January 2018, snippets from different speeches by Pope Francis as well as bleaching coral. It contains whistling and lights. It contains video projection by Marek Pluciennik. World premiere next week 7th of November! And this concert also includes an other world premiere by composer Perttu Haapanen. The whole concert is sung by the wonderful Akademiska Damkören Lyran and conducted by the fantastic Jutta Seppinen. Come and see for your self next week! Welcome!

Djurens planet autumn 2019

Happy world opera day to everyone! After seven great performances of my third children opera "Vickan & Väinö" by Opera Box Helsinki it's time to head next week to The Finnish National Opera for more performances of my second children opera "Djurens planet"!

Photo by Heikki Tuuli

Most inspiring story of last week: my friend has a 2 year old daughter who saw my opera Djurens Planet last spring. The 2 year old daughter likes the scene of the dragon (which she calles "Kra Kra") so much that she wants to watch it everyday from an iPad! 😍 Hearing that makes me feel like my job does make a difference after all. ❤️

Photo by Heikki Tuuli

Djurens planet more performances coming up again in the following weeks!

29.10 at 6 PM, Children from Granhultsskola, at Almi Hall, The Finnish National Opera

30.10 at 6 PM, Children from Rudolf Steinerskolan i Helsingfors, at Almi Hall, The Finnish National Opera

31.10 at 6 PM, Children from Mårtendalsskola, at Almi Hall, The Finnish National Opera

1.11 at 6 PM, Children from Grännässkolan, at Almi Hall, The Finnish National Opera

4.11 at 6 PM, Children from Hyvinge svenska skola, at Almi Hall, The Finnish National Opera

5.11 at 6 PM, Children from Boxby skola, at Almi Hall, The Finnish National Opera

7.11 at 6 PM, Children from Mikaelsskolan, at Sigurd Snåre Salen, Ekenäs

12.11 at 6 PM, Children from Oulun normaalikoulu, at Oulun normaalikoulu, Koskela

14.11 at 6 PM, Children from Haapaniemenkoulu, at Haapaniemenkoulu, Viitasaari

19.11 at 6 PM, Children from Svenska samskolan i Tammerfors, at Svenska samskolan i Tammerfors, Tampere

21.11 at 6 PM, Children from Vatialan koulu, at Monitoimihalli, Kangasala

26.11 at 6 PM, Children from Björneborgs svenska samskola, at Björneborgs svenska samskola, Pori

28.11 at 6 PM, Children from Kristinestads skola, at Kristinestad

Photo by Heikki Tuuli

Premiere week!

Today's HS – Helsingin Sanomat tells us PREMIERE WEEK is here! New bilingual children opera  Vickan & Väinö set up by Opera BOX at Helsinki Aleksanterin teatteri! TERVETULAO! VÄLKOMMEN!

Music by yours truly
Libretto & stage directing by Marina Motaleff-Kelly
Scenography & costume design: Tarmo Tanttu
Soprano: Hedvig Paulig/ Anna Sandström
Tenore: Ville Salonen/ Topias Lundell
Barytone: Markus Nieminen/ Aku Rantama
Accordion: Janne Valkeajoki

Performances:
17.10.2019 at 10 AM
17.10.2019 at 12 PM
17.10.2019 at 6 PM

18.10.2019 at 10 AM
18.10.2019 at 12 PM
18.10.2019 at 6 PM

19.10.2019 at 1 PM

WELCOME! VÄLKOMMEN! TERVETULOA!

Anniversary of Letters!

Exactly one year ago my second string quartet "Letters" was premiered by the amazing Brodsky Quartet at the wonderful Stift International Music Festival in Holland! Thank you once again Daniel Rowland - violin for this amazing commission and opportunity!

Since then Letters has been performed by Lapland String Quartet and at the festivals such as Musik vid havet / Meri ja musiikki (Music by the Sea, Inkoo), Kokonainen (Janakkala) and last week twice at the Tampering Festival (Tampere).

The version by Tampering ensemble is in Aamulehti's live stream available for subscribers until Friday. But I now share with you this video of last years world premiere by the Brodsky Quartet available for everyone! Hope you enjoy!

https://youtu.be/NN4ownAeCOo

Quintet "Minna" on the Radio again

Last March my first Piano Quintet "Minna - Pictures from the Life of Minna Canth" was performed by the amazing musicians of TampereRaw! It was broadcast back then  by the Finnish Broadcasting Company Yle. The radio programme "Aikamme suomalaista musiikkia" ("Finnish music of our time") is playing the recording in their latest program, so it is again online and can now be streamed all around the world for the next month! A presentation of Minna (in Finnish) begins at about 8:25 min and the actual piece begins at 11:50 min. Have a listen!

The program also contains pieces by my talented colleagues Jennah Vainio and Veli Kujala. For Finnish speaking friends I recommend you to listen to the very interesting commentary by the composer Aki Yli-Salomäki! 

Find the program online by clicking here!

Photo by Marthe Veian

Time of Music 2019

What a incredibleI had at Time of Music! So much great music, great lessons, great rehearsals, great sauna evenings and most important of all: great people!

Thank you Kaija Saariaho for such an inspiring master class and Uusinta Ensemble for a great premiere of my string trio Nisus 7.7 at Time of Music!

Kaija Saariaho and me at Time of Music, Viitasaari July 7th 2019

It was quite an unforgettable moment when the bow of Max Savikangas broke in the middle of my piece...! Luckily he had a spare bow with him and all ended well and the whole piece got it's premiere.

Thank you Camilla Hoitenga, John Butcher, Uusinta Ensemble, defunensemble, Peter Herresthal, Christian Karlsen, Thomas Kellner, Aliisa Neige Barrière, Jakob Kullberg, Petri Kumela, Tuuli Lindeberg, Thomas R. Moore, Alexander Schubert, Klaas Verpoest, Thomas Lehn, Aleksi Barrière and of course Kaija Saariaho and Djuro Živković for so many great concerts!

Thank you to everyone for so many great discussions and good sauna moments!

Time of Music 2019, Viitasaari, Finland