West Australian Review

With his bow dipped in the stuff of high inspiration, Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto, a diminutive figure with a colossal talent, took the Australian Chamber Orchestra to impressive heights in a re-working for string orchestra of his famed compatriot Sibelius' String Quartet in D minor.

Here was an opportunity to savour the excellence of the ACO's playing. With admirable, uniform tonal sheen and, at climaxes, gloriously rich, organ-like sonorities, the players responded to the score as if drawing on a shared reservoir of musical inspiration.

In Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, the first movement frequently sounded earthbound and bass heavy with an at-times overly grainy corporate tone. The finale, though, was pleasingly buoyant and fluent. Here, we also heard the faintly wheezing tone of the harmonium played throughout the evening with unassuming artistry by Milla Viljamaa.

Kuusisto was soloist in Bach's Violin Concerto in E in which much of the opening allegro was informed by an agreeably joyous quality. The finale was no less appealing. But in the extended
adagio which, movie fans may recall, was used to profoundly moving effect in Pasolini's The Gospel according to St Matthew, the playing lacked that element of poignancy which lies at the heart of the music.

As curtain-raiser, we heard Andrew Ford's Bright Shiners which is being premiered across the country on the ACO's current tour. With its imaginative writing Bright Shiners might well have a future in the repertoire of string orchestras. It initially has an eerie, faint and fragile quality with, later, charming suggestions of twittering birdsong in response to what sounded like the mournful cry of some disconsolate fowl. Also new to Perth audiences was Finnish composer Timo Alakotila's Sketches from Folkscenes, completed earlier this year and written in the tradition of Finnish folk fiddling. But despite the energy with which it was dispatched, its intriguing, syncopated rhythms and pleasing use of pizzicato sounded overlong for its material. Kuusisto played on a fine Guadagnini violin dating from 1752.

Neville Cohn | West Australian

Herald Sun Review

ACO leader Richard Tognetti is off duty for the orchestra's current tour and the guest leader is young Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto. Finnish music has a special place in this strings-only program: besides Kuusisto, the orchestra has two permanent members and a visiting harmonium player from Finland. Kuusisto's fine arrangement of the String Quartet in D minor by Sibelius brought a new richness to the work.

Also from Finland was Sketches from Folkscenes (world premiere) by Timo Alakotila. It weaves folk music and original material together and uses the harmonium, a key instrument in Finnish fiddle bands whose timbre enhances the open sound of folk string playing. The chunky, pop and jazz-influenced second movement looked a pleasure to play.

In the Bach E major Violin Concerto, Kuusisto took a free, joyous approach to the first movement. A few improvised details in the third added a spontaneous feel.

Bright Shiners by Andrew Ford, a new commission, was an enjoyable piece with vivid textures and effective, flattering string writing. Its duration suited its musical concept perfectly.

Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No.3 took a fresh, modern approach with a lively bowing style, choppy but never rough. There was an exciting primal energy to the final movement. Rather than the more usual harpsichord continuo, ACO again used the harmonium - a logistical choice perhaps, but it worked. Kuusisto's playing explores many musical styles and his artistic imagination seems boundless. Best of all, hi inspiration spread to the other players and audience alike.

It says excellent things about Tognetti and his intentions for the orchestra that he engages guest leaders of Kuusisto's calibre in his absence.
Anna McAlister, Herald Sun

Finn finds Inner Voices

Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto is fresh from a conversation with school kids about classical music. The dialogue is one aspect of music and performance that inspires the celebrated musician who is in Australia as guest director of the Australian Chamber Orchestra for its Inner Voices tour.

"Most musicians who perform in concert halls seem to expect the world to come to us all of the time ... because we play music from a certain period," Kuusisto explains. "We have to be ready and willing to reach out to other people and offer others what we have to give."

Kuusisto brings to Australia an impressive performance history which includes an association with London, Scottish and Irish chamber orchestras, the Britten Sinfonia and stints as the artistic director of Finland's Lake Tuusula Chamber Music Festival. In 1995, Kuusisto was the first Finn to win the International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition. One of the world's top three violin competitions, it is held every five years in recognition of the composer's musical legacy in his homeland, Finland, and worldwide.

Kuusisto is known for his diverse tastes which have seen him embrace classical music as well as folk, electronic, jazz, rock and improvisional styles. He says while he has fostered diversity in his musical taste, he realises that certain genres are not for all. "(Classical) music is not for everyone. It's just in the same way some people like Rembrandt and some people like Andy Warhol," he says.

Performing with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, including a stint as guest director in the past, means Kuusisto knows exactly what to expect on this visit Down Under. He says he loves the opportunity to get into the rehearsal room with the orchestra and this time will lead the group in a Finnish inspired program. "It's a great collection of people who are really wonderful people and great musicians," he says. Kuusisto has arranged Sibelius' Voices Intimae for the performance. The orchestra will also play Bach's Violin Concerto No. 2 in E and the Brandenberg Concerto No. 3 and premiere Alakotila's Finnish Folksong Suite for Strings. Kuusisto says initially he had reservations about arranging and playing a Sibelius piece with the chamber orchestra. "That idea came from the orchestra and I was a little bit reluctant at first," he says. "But if there's one orchestra that can play the personality and intimacy of the piece in a large venue, then this is the orchestra."
KILMENY ADIE, ILLAWARRA MERCURY

Anniversary celebration came packed with surprises

BACK for another tour as guest director, Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto directed the Australian Chamber Orchestra on Monday night in a surprise-packed program of music by Sibelius and Bach, preceded by a bagatelle from Andrew Ford, to celebrate Richard Tognetti's 20-year stand as the ensemble's presiding genius. As things turned out, Ford's Bright Shiners contributed the evening's most novel sounds, its textural interplay making a successful bookend to a night that concluded in another world premiere, Timo Alakotila's unadventurous Sketches from Folkscenes.

Read the full article in The Age.

Folk trips of Finnish brilliance

There is a paradox at the heart of this Australian Chamber Orchestra program, a joyous celebration of the growing musical ties between Australia and Finland. The ACO already has two Finns and here they are joined by two guests, harmonium player Milla Viljamaa and guest leader Pekka Kuusisto. Part cherub, part elf, Kuusisto is relatively well known here from previous tours and as the wintry soloist in the recent film 4, of Vivaldi's Four Seasons.

Clearly the ACO adores him; audiences, too. Radiating joy and cheer, he plays with the improvisatory abandon of a folk fiddler.

Read the full article in The Australian.

An aural homecoming

Violinist Pekka Kuusisto tells Anna King Murdoch about his journey of musical self-discovery.

After becoming the first Finn to win the marathon International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition 14 years ago while still only in his teens, Pekka Kuusisto felt that something wasn't right. "I was not really happy playing and I couldn't really tell why because I was on the verge of having the kind of life I had always wanted — gorgeous concerts with great orchestras and playing the Sibelius violin concerto everywhere. I couldn't understand it myself."

Read the full article in The Age.

Learn more about Pekka Kuusisto's tour with the ACO.

Pekka on the blogosphere

Here's the first feedback about the tour with Pekka Kuusisto from the blog 'Appreciating and loving classical music'.

Pekka Kuusisto on Sibelius and Sisu

Pekka Kuusisto, Guest Director/Violin for our Inner Voices national tour talks about Sibelius, sisu* and Finnish folk music:



*Finnish for 'guts' or 'fortitude'.