A new feature of the music courses run in conjunction with the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival this summer will be orchestra workshops. Young musicians will perform chamber works alongside experienced performers, at the same time gaining much valuable experience. From 16 to 24 July there will be opportunities to hear the fruits of the project. The workshop is being led by Konstantin Bogino. He and his ensemble will be performing works by Shostakovich and Milhaud on Tuesday 21 July at 14:00 in the Lentua Hall at the Kuhmo Arts Centre.
In addition to the workshops, the Young Chamber Musicians programme is to extend to appearances by young, gifted performers playing in ensembles at the festival. This year there will be 13 such players. In the spring notices were put out for young performers for a four-year period, 107 applications came in and auditions began. The Young Chamber Musicians will be chosen by the end of the year.
The music courses start on Wednesday 15 July and continue until Friday 24th. The participants will be active amateurs and vocational students. The teachers will mainly consist of artists performing at the festival. The courses will include individual and group tuition and workshops in which the students will prepare works playing with their teacher.
This summer exactly one hundred people will attend the music courses. The number of applicants for courses and the standard of tuition have always been high. Of those participating, 60% are between the ages of 17 and 22, 76 are Finns, and 9 are from Kuhmo. Of the foreign participants, eight are from Japan, three from the USA, two from Belgium, two from South Korea, two from Switzerland, two from Sweden, and one from each of France, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Portugal.
The music courses at Kuhmo will be run in partnership with Metsähallitus and Kaisanet Oy, both of which have awarded scholarships: one to the violinist Essi Höglund (Metsähallitus) and one to the violinist Magdalena Geka (Kaisanet).
A scholarship worth 1,000 euros will be awarded to any especially talented and deserving instrumentalist or ensemble, courtesy of the Oleg Kagan Memorial Fund. The winner is to be announced at the final course concert on 25 July at 12:30. Saki Tozawa, 14, who was awarded the scholarship last year, will perform this summer too in workshop and student concerts at Kuhmo.
Masterclasses open to the public and free of charge are as follows:
Konstantin Bogino, piano 15󔼝.7. Kontio School, low building, classroom 8
Hagai Shaham, violin 15󔼠.7. Kontio School, low building, classroom 3
Danel Quartet, chamber music 16.󔼠.7. Kontio School, tall building, classroom 223
More details of times and course programmes can be found on the timetables posted on the relevant classroom doors, as well as on the notice board at the Kuhmo Arts Centre and in the Amati Café Shop at the Chamber Music Centre.
The student concerts start on Friday 17 July, and will be held at Kontio School (except for the first one). Here are the dates and times:
17.7. at 6.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre
18.7. at 12.30
19.7. at 12.30
20.7. at 12.30
21.7. at 12.45
22.7. at 12.30 and 22.45
23.7. at 12.30 and 22.45
24.7. at 12.30
25.7. at 12.30