A Composer's Diary: art

Showing posts with label art. Show all posts

Friday, 6 August 2021

ICE video premiere!

What an incredible day!

Photo of composer Cecilia Damström and architect Erkko Aarti. Photo © C. Damström

Today 6.8 my piece “ICE” commissioned by Green Capital Lahti got its video premiere, recorded by Lahti Sinfonia and conducted by Finland’s star conductor Dalia Stasevska (who is still in the UK as she conducted the opening of the Proms!)! The video premiere was on the big screen of Helsinki Music Centre at 12 PM, and is now available online in 100 cities threatened by rising sea levels.

Sinfonia Lahti playing ICE conducted by Dalia Stasevska

Sinfonia Lahti on the screen of Helsinki Music Centre 6.8.2021. Photo © C. Damström

After the video premiere, the Mayor of Lahti Pekka Timonen officially cut the ribbon and opened the monumental visual piece I.C.E by Erkko Aarti and his team. The piece can be seen in front of Helsinki main library Oodi for the next 10 days, and all these days from 10 AM to 5 PM my piece ICE can be heard in the Wood Paviljong (on repeat).

Lahti Major Pekka Timonen opening I.C.E.

The Meyer of Lahti opening the wood pavilion 6.8.2021 Photo © C. Damström

When I was asked in December 2020 if I would like to compose the piece, I immediately had a “vision” of how this piece should sound, it was clear from the beginning to the end. Due to it’s important topic (the climate crisis) this piece is really special to me. My humblest thank you to Green Capital Lahti, Sinfonia Lahti and Dalia Stasevska for your trust in me, and giving me this enormous and amazing opportunity to be part of this!

Air photo of I.C.E by Erkko Aarti. Photo ©Juha-Pekka Huotari / Lahden kaupunki

Photo of I.C.E by Erkko Aarti. Photo © C. Damström

Also a great honour to get the opportunity to collaborate with the super talented Erkko Aarti and his team! Its not everyday a composer gets to collaborate with a prize winning architect and his team! (Well, no part of this project happens “often” in a composers life, to be honest! 😀 )

Still find it hard to believe this all happened today and is real! ❤

Composer Cecilia Damström 6.8.2021.

#greenlahti #greenlahti2021@greenlahti2021 #sinfonialahti@sinfonialahti #daliastasevska@daliastasevskaofficial#ceciliadamström #ceciliadamstrom@ceciliadamstrom #ICE #icemusic#ympäristöpääkaupunki #climatecrisis

Monday, 24 May 2021

Thoughts on Finnish cultural restrictions

I'm very proud of Finland at the Eurovision song contest final! If the audience would have decided Finland would have been fourth, but also now the 6th placement was the best Finland placement since Lordi won in 2006! Well done @blindchannel !!

I’m proud of Finnish culture but I’m not proud of how Finnish culture has been treated by our government (by cultural minister @annika.saarikko among others)! 🤯Living in Germany I see how ALL institutions (restaurants, gyms, shops AND culture institutions) are treated equally, same rules for everyone. In Finland again everything else seems to matter except culture. The National Theatre can take in 6 people in the audience while the casino next door can take in 350!! I do believe in regulations due to corona, but a 50% capacity concert or theatre where everyone wears face masks, is for sure a more safe place than for instance any bar. So why does culture have the worst conditions for being able to do work, of all professions in Finland at the moment? A sector that includes 135.000 people working with it, and usually a turnover of 12,5 billion euros a year, it is a substantial industry that has been abandoned by our government. Finland HAS to do BETTER than this!

Ending with a good Churchill quote, when asked to cut down on funding for art during World War II he replied “Then what would we be fighting for?”.

#kulttuuriaeisaarikkoa #blindchannel#finnishculture #finnishmusic #annikasaarikko #sannamarin #jaxuhali @eduskunta_riksdagen #mittaontäysi

Monday, 26 April 2021

Internationales Künstlerhaus Villa Concordia Bamberg

So it was finally officially announced today: I’m super happy to be chosen to be one of the 15 artists in residence at the Internationales Künstlerhaus Villa Concordia in Bamberg! We are 7 artists from Germany and 8 artists from Finland who were able to choose from receiving a 5 or 11 month stipend from the Freestate of Bavaria and are invited by the Bavarian State Minister for Science and Art Bernd Sibler, to stay at the Villa Concordia in Bamberg. Artists cannot apply for this scholarship themselves, because the scholarship holders are invited by a board of trustees and thus awarded by the Free State of Bavaria.

I am excited to share the upcoming year with my fellow scholarship holders! The scholarship holders for 2021-2022 are:

Visual art: Dieter Froelich (D), Lena von Goedeke (D), Emma Helle (FI), Heikki Marila (FI) and Tuukka Tammisaari (FI)

Literature: Benedikt Feiten (D), Lucy Fricke (D), Veera Kaski (FI), Arja Rinnekangas (FI), Johanna Sinisalo (FI) and Antje Rávik Strubel (D)

Music: Cecilia Damström (FI), Elina Lukijanova (D), Steffen Schleiermacher (D) and

Sauli Zinovjev (FI)

An ever so big THANK YOU to the Board of Trustees, to Minister Bernd Sibler and to the Free State of Bavaria for giving me this amazing opportunity I couldn’t even have dreamt of! I am truly humbled!

Villa Concordia Bamberg April 2021. Photo © Cecilia Damström

Thursday, 31 October 2019

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

Tuesday, 12 March 2019

Djurens planet premiere this week!

The premiere week has arrived! Some sneak peeks from rehearsals at the Finnish National Opera. Welcome on Friday and Saturday! Libretto by Monica Vikström-Jokela, stage design by Anna Kontek, music (and all photos) by yours truly! Tickets available online here! Welcome! #djurensplanet

Rehearsals of Djurens planet. World premiere 15.3.2019!
Photo and music: Cecilia Damström

Sunday, 16 August 2015

TampeRinging 2015 - The Programme

The Programme of the contemporary music festival TampeRinging 2015 organised by the composer association Tampering ry.

Thursday 20.8.

19:00

Opening concert of the festival: Secrets & Scandals

Tampering Ensemble conducted by Okko Kivikataja

Pyynikkisali, F.E Sillanpään katu 9

Matilda Seppälä: and the vines with theirtender grape (2014)

Ilkka Hammo: Seeking flow (world premiere)

Jouni Kaipainen: Gena (1988)

Tero Lanu: Birds Are Great Escape Artists (world premiere)

Jami Kianto: Absentiikka (world premiere)

Arnold Schönberg: Kamarisinfonia nro. 1 E-duuri, Op. 9 (1906-7)

21:00

Etkot (The Pre-Party)

Telakka, Tullikamariaukio 3

Philippe Geiss: Sax hero - Suvi Linnovaara, saxophone

Cecilia Damström: Groove op. 38 - JanneValkeajoki, accordion; Jacintha Damström, flute

Sauli Zinovjev: Arco - Elisar Riddelin, violin

Timo Kittilä: Harmonikkasonatiini - Pasi Raukola, accordion

Sergei Prokofiev: Sonata for two violins - Amelie Wünsche, violin; Veera Hölsö, violin

Sampo Haapamäki: Power - Janne Valkeajoki, accordion

Magnus Lindberg: Jeux d'anches - JanneValkeajoki, accordion

Friday 21.8.

13:00

Improvisation workshop with Oxke Fixu

Keltainen talo, Vellamonkatu 1

19:00

Suvi Linnovaaran Saxophone Recital: Créations

Ylioppilasteatteri, Itsenäisyydenkatu 12

Cecilia Damström: Dorfman trio op.33 (2014): I Lost II Lonely III Forward (Finnish premiere)

Matti Carter: Waves (world premiere)

Annika Granlund: Viikon lopusta (world premiere): I Sunnuntai II Lauantai III Perjantai

Paolo Griffin: Deflection (world premiere)

Jacob TV: Grab it! (1999)

21:00

Tampering-klubi:

Oxke Fixu (FR)

Mikkoman

Telakka, Tullikamariaukio 3

Saturday 22.8.

12:00

Chamber Music Concert: L'après-midi d'un tétras

Pietiläsali, Main Library Metso

Cecilia Damström: Expressionen, op. 27 - Lukas Stasevskij, cello Janne Valkeajoki, accordion Helmi Malmgren, clarinet

Sauli Zinovjev: Arco - Elisar Riddelin, violin

Elisar Riddelin: Minne on mennyt - Hanna Kronqvist, soprano Tuomas Honkkila, piano

Cecilia Damström: Characters, op. 37 - CeciliaDamström, piano

Jami Kianto: Kolme laulua - Maija Halme, soprano Tuomas Salokangas, piano

Roope Mäenpää: String Quartet Nr 2 - TEMA-kvartetti: Lotta Laaksonen, violin Emma Kuosmanen, violin Marjukka Manner, viola Aino Palosaari, cello

14:00

Lauluyhtye Fiori

Pietiläsali, Main Library Metso

Tero Lanu: Herbaario: 1. Leskenlehti 2. Punakoiso 3. Sinikello 4. Harmaaröyhelö 5. Valkolehdokki (world premiere)

Cecilia Damström: Estampas del mar: 1. Nocturno 2. El mar 3. Dos estrellas del mar (world premiere)

Makedonian folk song, arranged by Michael Parsons: Nani Mi Mariče

Romanian folk song, arranged by Michael Parsons: Auzi, Mîndro

Pekka Kostiainen: Merkillinen mies

Cecilia Damström: El jardín de las morenas: 1. Pórtico 2. Acacia 3. Encuentro 4. Limonar

Pekka Kostiainen: Peipposen pesä: 1. Pitkittyi moni yö 2. Peipposen pesä 3. Kesä irtoaa

Janne Salmenkangas: Kuningattaren ääni: 1. Tämä on lauma 2. Kuningattaren selkä 3. Yksi pieni valkoinen lehmä 4. Elisabet, Emilia (world premiere)

19:00

Caprico Orchestra conducted by Elisar Riddelin

Alexander Church

Matilda Seppälä: Aaltoja joista kirkkaus sarastaa (world premiere)

Ilkka Hammo: Fall Folliage (world premiere)

Timo Kittilä: Towards the Delta - Maija Anttila, bass clarinet (world premiere)

Paavo Korpijaakko: Nebula - Concerto for guitar, Lotta Kosola, guitar

Cecilia Damström: Infirmus (world premiere)

Elisar Riddelin: Ja kun muinaiset katosivat -Concerto for cello and strings, Sirja Nironen, cello (world premiere)

Henri Sokka: Silence Fiction (world premiere)

Sunday 23.8.

19:00

Esa Toivolan Organ Recital

Tampere Cathedral

Torsten Stenius (1918–1964): Partita över en finländsk andlig koral

Timo Kittilä: Preludi Meditaatio Musica dopo il Credo

Pauli Marttinen: Briaɥsklárs (world premiere)

Edgar Arro (1911–1978): Kolme virolaista kansansävelmää

Lasse Kallioniemi: Organic Metal (world premiere)

Naji Hakim (s. 1955): Mariales (1993)1. Incantation (Mater admirabilis) 2. Pastorale (Regina cœli) 3. Antienne (Salve regina) 4. Hymne (Virgo Dei genitrix) 5. Danse (Ave maris stella)

Timo Kittilä: Toccata (world premiere)

Wednesday, 13 May 2015

Tongeneration Concert in Lund

Last week’s Sunday, on the 10th of May, we from Tongeneration, the composers of Malmö Academy of Music, had a concert at Lund’s Museum of Public Art. The concert was part of the Lund Biennale, a two day event of music in Lund, organized by Odeum.

The programme was:

1. Francesco Del Nero - Sc'ri (world premiere)

2. Jonatan Sersam - Medusa (world premiere)

3. David Riebe - Escaliers Mécaniques

4. Cecilia Damström - Piano Delirium Op.9 (Swedish premiere)

5. Jonatan Sersam - Röster (world premiere)

6. Ismael Palacio - Open space

7. Alfred Jimenez - Two excerpt teasers from his opera Clownen Jac (world premiere)

Musicians:

Albert Van Pham - Piano (2)

Niklas Sjölund - Piano (1)

Jonas Helander - Tenor (7)

Elisabeth Ekberg - soprano (7)

Jonatan Sersam - Piano (1, 7)

Cecilia Damström - Piano (4)
Ismael Palacio, Francesco Del Nero and Jonatan Sersam are the "Non-Existing Trio" (Prepared piano and amplified harmonica) (7)

Cecilia Damström playing the Swedish premiere
of her own piece Piano Delirium. Photo by Niklas Sjölund

Tongeneration at the Lund Biennale, on Sunday the 10th of May
in the Museum of Public Art and Sketches.
Photo © Cecilia Damström

I had planned that my song cycle would have had its Swedish premiere, but all my singer friends were too busy and my sister had a slight flu and couldn’t either sing, so I decided instead to give my solo piano piece Piano Delirium (from 2010) a Swedish premiere, and played it my self in the concert. I was very happy with how it went; I think I have maybe never played it so well in a concert before!

The concert had two more piano pieces, two pieces for tape, a trio (Open space) and two arias from Alfred Jimenez opera. There were about 30 people at the concert, which is about an average for a contemporary music concert. Everyone was happy with the concert, both we composers and musicians as well as organizers, and even the sun was shining in Lund!

All composers and performers on stage!
Tongeneration at the Lund Biennale, on Sunday the 10th of May
in the Museum of Public Art and Sketches.

Wednesday, 4 June 2014

Eight songs for a Mad King

Wednesday June 4th. Today is a historical day; The piece Eight songs for a mad king by Peter Maxwell Davies will be performed in Finland for the first time since 1991. I came with two friends all the way from Tampere to Helsinki for seeing this! (Okay my friends also had other appointments in Helsinki, but I didn’t!) The performance was at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences and the main part was sung by the counter tenor David Hackston. The performance was absolutely fantastic, and I absolutely love this piece of music! If you don’t know it, please watch it from the youtube video below.