New and old partners in crime

It seems only logical that the more I work the less I have time to write about it, right? So I'll use pictures rather than words to summarize what's been up lately.

I started a new collaboration with Miia Roiko-Jokela, who did her M. A. at the Royal Music Academy of Stockholm shortly after me. Her instrument, the flute, is especially meaningful to me after spending my childhood in a household where both parents were professional flutists! We've so far played together only twice but have a few gigs booked for this spring. Our duo's theme is of course to bring out our Finnish roots: so far our program consists of only Finnish music, ranging from the classical era of Crusell, to the national romanticism of Sibelius, to more contemporary composers such as Jack Mattsson and Kaija Saariaho.

Working with singers is always a pleasure. My wonderful soprano Pauliina Sairanen got a job at the Oslo Opera House so this time, when I was invited to do a Christmas concert with a singer, I contacted the lovely Tessan-Maria Lehmussaari, an alumn of the Stockholm Opera Academy. We did one intense day of two concerts in 2017, so it was long time no see and lovely to work with her again. There is more news on that front, but I'm not allowed to talk about it yet...

Me and my cellist Vincent Wistrand hosted our family friendly movie music concert in the lovely Grunewaldvillan. This was the second year that we've received a culture stipendium from Nacka County, and we intend to make an annual tradition of organising themed chamber music concerts with their support (if indeed we get it again in 2020). Vincent and I have a few concerts already booked for this spring, among others Karby Gård in Täby.

And apropos the Nacka county culture stipendiums! I received my third one in a row, this time for a collaboration with dancer Sanda Tcacencu and manga- artist Elin Alskog. We are the first trio to perform in Nacka church combining manga illustration, a dance choreography and piano music. The three of us have never worked together like this before. I know Sanda from Våga Visa (she's one of the observers) and Elin from Östermalms Musik och Kulturskola where we both teach. How the results will look and sound, can be witnessed on Sunday the 16th of February in Nacka church at 18:00, and more details about the project and my partners in crime will follow.

Back in Grünewaldvillan with Vincent in September 2019. We might have something in store for fall 2020 as well.

Grünewaldvillan, september 2019, family friendly film music concert with Vincent Wistrand. First (and hopefully not last) time my pink toy piano was featured at a concert!

Unfortunately I never actually made it to Jämtland last summer to see the play Emil i Lönneberga, where some of the costumes were my creations. But almost all of the performances were sold out and Höglunda Teater was praised in the local news and by theater-goers. I'm still anxious to see some video footage and get much more pictures, but the few I've seen so far look very good and the production team remembered me with this wonderful card:

It was a pleasure to design and sew outfits to the main characters, Emil and Ida. Photo courtesy of Höglunda Teater.

To be continued!
-Silja