Tampere Biennale celebrates 40th anniversary

Tampere Biennale, a festival of modern art music, is held this year on 15–19 April. Concerts are held in music and culture venues across the city and even on Pyynikki ridge in the ‘Magic Path’ performances.

The festival opens on Wednesday evening with the 25th anniversary concert of TampereRaw at the Old City Hall, continuing with a performance by the Earth Ears Ensemble (pictured) at G Livelab.

From Thursday, the festival programme begins at lunchtime. The first daytime concert is a recital by soprano Meeri Pulakka and dancer Sofia Keto-Tokoi at Galleria Himmelblau, followed by another dance production — the premiere of Meren vuoksi [Turning of the Tide], with soprano Pia Freund, poetry by Vilja-Tuulia Huotarinen and Eeva-Liisa Manner and music by Tiina Myllärinen, Paola Livorsi and Lotta Wennäkoski at Teatteri Telakka.

Thursday is also the day for the first of the Taikatie [Magic Path] sound walks combining narrative and music. There are six of these unique, innovative performances during the festival, meandering across layers of time in the terrain of Pyynikki ridge, contemplating the place of humans in nature and in history. The narration is written by Anni Kytömäki and read by actor Hannu-Pekka Björkman, with music by Pietari Kaasinen. Participants listen to the narration (in Finnish) and music on their own mobile devices and headphones, and a human guide leads them along the forest trail.

Thursday night brings the first joint performance of the contemporary music group Uusinta Ensemble and Sámi artist Ánnámáret at Tampere Hall, and the evening concludes with a recital by pianist Ville Hautakangas, during which Inka Hannula and Teemu Raudaskoski produce a painting in real time.

The Friday daytime concert is a recital by cellist Eeva Rysä and pianist Ilmo Ranta at the auditorium of Culture House Laikku. In the evening, the Tampere Philharmonic appears in concert conducted by Ruut Kiiski, with violinist Maria Puusaari and flautist Malla Vivolin as soloists. The late night concert is given by the improvisation ensemble Hot Heros and Libero Mureddu at Telakka.

Saturday opens with a promenade concert at the Sara Hildén Art Museum featuring violinist Malla Vivolin and actress Ella Mettänen. The weekend includes a peek at Japanese culture in Secret Flowers, a music theatre production directed by Aleksi Barrière where the classical Japanese Noh theatre tradition is given a brilliant modern interpretation. Japanese and European artists meet again in Tea/Time & Love at Nekalab on Sunday, combining music, theatre and the traditional Japanese tea ceremony.

On Saturday night, the Avanti! Chamber Ensemble returns to the Tampere Biennale after a hiatus of 20 years, performing at the Old City Hall. Also, folk musician Maija Kauhanen and the saxophone quartet Saxtronauts, specialising in new art music, meet for the first time on stage at G Livelab.

On the last day of the festival, the wind quintet Ilmiö Ensemble performs twice at Culture House Laikku. The first performance is a musical fairy tale for the whole family, forming part of the Tampere Biennale Family Day that also includes an instrument building workshop organised by Children’s Cultural Centre Rulla. Later in the afternoon, a recital of contemporary music by Ilmiö Ensemble concludes the festival.

The festival programme is augmented with exhibitions, street art, a seminar by the Society of Finnish Composers and a lecture and composition masterclass by Polish composer Agata Zubel.