Photo: Tero Ahonen
Meta4
Antti Tikkanen, violin
Minna Pensola, violin
Atte Kilpeläinen, viola
Tomas Djupsjöbacka, cello
Meta4, formed in 2001, is one of the most internationally successful Finnish string quartets. In 2004 it won the first prize in the International Shostakovich Quartet Competition in Moscow and was also awarded a special prize for best Shostakovich interpretation. The quartet enjoyed continued success in 2007, when it won the first prize in the International Joseph Haydn Chamber Music Competition in Vienna. Later that year the Finnish Minister of Culture awarded Meta4 with the annual Finland Prize in recognition of an international breakthrough. Meta4 was selected as a BBC New Generation Artist for 2008–2010 and in 2013 Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation awarded the quartet with a special prize in recognition of its work.
Meta4 performs regularly in key music capitals and concert halls around the world including Wiener Konzerthaus, Wigmore Hall and King’s Place in London, Auditorio Nacional in Madrid, Cité de la Musique in Paris and Stockholms Konserthus, and has also toured in Australia. Furthermore, Meta4 served as the Artistic Director of Oulunsalo Music Festival between 2008 and 2011 and was the quartet-in-residence at the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival from 2008-2017.
The quartet has studied in the European Chamber Music Academy (ECMA) under Hatto Beyerle and Johannes Meissl. They have released three recordings on Hänssler Classics: Haydn’s String Quartets op. 55 1–3 (2009), which was awarded the esteemed Echo Klassik Award in 2010; Shostakovich’s String Quartets 3, 4 & 7 (2012), which received the 2012 Record of the Year award from the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE as well as the Emma prize (the Finnish Grammy) in the category of the Classical Album of the Year, as well as Bartók’s String Quartets 1 & 5, released in 2014. The quartet has also released an album of Kaija Saariaho’s chamber music works (Ondine, 2013) and an LP of Sibelius’s String Quartet ‘Voces Intimae’ (Berliner Meister Schallplatten, 2013). An album with Brahms Clarinet Quintet and Gérard Pesson’s Nebenstück together with Reto Bieri, was released via ECM Records in 2019. The most recent albums of the quartet were breleased via Bis Records: their recording of octets by Mendelssohn and Enescu with the Gringolts Quartet was released in 2020 and fall 2021 saw the release of Oceano, Chamber Music by Sebastian Fagerlund.
The members of Meta4 play distinguished instruments, which include a Stradivarius, kindly on loan from the Finnish Cultural Foundation, a Carlo Bergonzi violin, kindly on loan from Signe and Ane Gyllenberg’s Foundation and a cello made by Lorenzo Storioni in Cremona in 1780.
Artist's/Ensemble's own websiteProgramme
Minna Pensola
14.7.
Anders Hillborg (1954):
Bach Materia for violin and string orchestra (2017)
14.7.
Antonín Dvořák (1841—1904):
Serenade in E, Op. 22 for string orchestra (1875)
15.7.
The Heart of the Day – Minna Pensola and Antti Tikkanen talk about the summer's program and making of it (in Finnish).
15.7.
Philip Glass (1937):
Echorus for two violins and string orchestra (1994–95)
- Minna Pensola
- Reetta Kataja
- Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra
15.7.
Einojuhani Rautavaara (1928—2016):
The Fiddlers, Op. 1 suite for string orchestra (1972)
15.7.
Kopsin Joonas (arr. by Timo Alakotila)
15.7.
Samuel (arr. by Timo Alakotila)
16.7.
György Kurtág (1926):
Kafka Fragments, Op. 24 for soprano and violin (1985–87, text: Franz Kafka)
19.7.
Lotta Wennäkoski (1970):
Tocca for harp and violin (2019)
20.7.
Viera Janárčeková (1941—2023):
Illusion from Tangomania for violin and accordion (2013–14)
20.7.
Toivo Kärki (1915—1992):
Siks oon mä suruinen (1944, lyrics: Kerttu Mustonen)
20.7.
Arnold Schönberg (1874—1951):
Die Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night), Op. 4 for string sextet (1899)
- Minna Pensola
- Student of the Music Course
- Annariina Jokela
- Student of the Music Course
- Claude Frochaux
- Student of the Music Course
21.7.
Eero Hämeenniemi (1951):
Waiting for the Sunrise for two violins (2009)
22.7.
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681—1767):
Concerto in G, TWV 40:201 for four violins (1720)
22.7.
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681—1767):
Concerto in D, TWV 40:202 for four violins (1720)
22.7.
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681—1767):
Concerto in C, TWV 40:203 for four violins (1720)
22.7.
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681—1767):
Concerto in A, TWV 40:204 for four violins (1720)
22.7.
22.7.
Maurice Ravel (1875—1937):
Sonata No. 2 in G for violin and piano (1923–27)
22.7.
Lasse Pihlajamaa (1916—2007):
Romanian Rhapsody (1949)
23.7.
J. S. Bach (1685—1750):
Largo from Sonata No. 3 in C, BWV 1005 (1720)
23.7.
Ilse Weber (1903—1944):
Ich wandre durch Theresienstadt (I wander through Theresienstadt) (1942–44, lyrics: Ilse Weber)
23.7.
Martin Roman (1910—1996):
Das Karussell (1944, lyrics: Manfred Greiffenhagen)
23.7.
Adolf Strauss (1902—1944):
Ich weiss bestimmt, ich werd dich wiedersehen (I know for sure I'll see you again) (lyrics: Ludwig Hift)
23.7.
Carlo Taube (1897—1944):
Ein jüdisches Kind (A Jewish Child) (lyrics: Carlo and Erika Taube)
23.7.
Ilse Weber (1903—1944):
Wiegala (Beddy-bye) (lyrics: Ilse Weber)
23.7.
Viktor Ullmann (1898—1944):
Berjoskele (The Little Birch), Op. 53 No. 1 from Brezulinka (Birches). Drei jiddische Lieder (1943, lyrics: David Einhorn)
24.7.
The Heart of the Day – Lotta Wennäkoski talks about her commissioned piece and her work as a composer, interviewed by Minna Pensola and Antti Tikkanen (in Finnish).
24.7.
Lotta Wennäkoski (1970):
Sic for two violins (2024, commissioned by Kuhmo Chamber Music, premier)
26.7.
Pedro Laurenz (1902—1972):
Berretín (1941, arr. by Astor Piazzolla)
26.7.
Jean Françaix (1912—1997):
String Trio (1933)
27.7.
Vladimir Mendelssohn (1949—2021):
Urban Lark No. 2 for piano quartet (2019)
27.7.
Antti Tikkanen
14.7.
Isabella Leonarda (1620—1704):
Sonata No 12, Op. 16 for violin and basso continuo (1683)
14.7.
J. S. Bach (1685—1750):
First movement from Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G, BWV 1048 (1718)
14.7.
Anders Hillborg (1954):
Second movement for J. S. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 'Very Tender' (2017)
14.7.
J. S. Bach (1685—1750):
Third movement from Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G, BWV 1048 (1718)
14.7.
Anders Hillborg (1954):
Bach Materia for violin and string orchestra (2017)
14.7.
Antonín Dvořák (1841—1904):
Serenade in E, Op. 22 for string orchestra (1875)
15.7.
The Heart of the Day – Minna Pensola and Antti Tikkanen talk about the summer's program and making of it (in Finnish).
15.7.
Hymn 263 – Vuorella Kristus kirkastui (Christ transfigured upon the mount Tabor) (audience and artists)
15.7.
Mikko Heiniö (1948):
Concerto for kantele, violin and string orchestra (2020–21)
15.7.
Einojuhani Rautavaara (1928—2016):
The Fiddlers, Op. 1 suite for string orchestra (1972)
15.7.
Kopsin Joonas (arr. by Timo Alakotila)
15.7.
Samuel (arr. by Timo Alakotila)
16.7.
W. A. Mozart (1756—1791):
String Quintet No. 3 in C, K. 515 (1787)
16.7.
Johannes Brahms (1833—1897):
Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25 (1861)
17.7.
W. A. Mozart (1756—1791):
Piano Quartet No. 2 in E flat, K. 493 (1786)
18.7.
George Szell (1897—1970):
Piano Quintet in E, Op. 2 (1911)
20.7.
Toivo Kärki (1915—1992):
Siks oon mä suruinen (1944, lyrics: Kerttu Mustonen)
20.7.
Rouzbeh Raffie (1981):
Karân for cello and live electronics (2021)
21.7.
Eero Hämeenniemi (1951):
Waiting for the Sunrise for two violins (2009)
21.7.
Simon Steen-Andersen (1976):
Study # 1 for string instruments (2007)
22.7.
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681—1767):
Concerto in G, TWV 40:201 for four violins (1720)
22.7.
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681—1767):
Concerto in D, TWV 40:202 for four violins (1720)
22.7.
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681—1767):
Concerto in C, TWV 40:203 for four violins (1720)
22.7.
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681—1767):
Concerto in A, TWV 40:204 for four violins (1720)
24.7.
The Heart of the Day – Lotta Wennäkoski talks about her commissioned piece and her work as a composer, interviewed by Minna Pensola and Antti Tikkanen (in Finnish).
24.7.
Lotta Wennäkoski (1970):
Sic for two violins (2024, commissioned by Kuhmo Chamber Music, premier)
27.7.
Claude Debussy (1862—1918):
Sonata in G minor for violin and piano (1916–17)
27.7.
Atte Kilpeläinen
21.7.
Nico Muhly (1981):
Étude No. 3 from Three Études for viola and tape (2008–2013)
22.7.
Felix Mendelssohn (1809—1847):
Piano Quartet in D minor (1821)
23.7.
Sebastian Fagerlund (1972):
Scherzic for viola and cello (2008)
24.7.
Anton Bruckner (1824—1896):
String Quintet in F (1878–79)
25.7.
Sebastian Fagerlund (1972):
Octet 'Autumn Equinox' (2016)
25.7.
Johannes Brahms (1833—1897):
Piano Quartet No. 2 in A, Op. 26 (1861)
26.7.
Johannes Brahms (1833—1897):
String Sextet No. 2 in G, Op. 36 (1864–65)
27.7.
Francesco Darmanin (1995):
The Sudden Lightness for piano quartet (Winner of the Vladimir Mendelssohn Composition Competition 2023, Finnish premier)
27.7.
Vladimir Mendelssohn (1949—2021):
Urban Lark No. 2 for piano quartet (2019)