Photo: Stella Reismaa

Osmo Tapio Räihälä

”I hear colours, shapes and textures. I see sounds, timbres, rhythms. When I see an impressive work of visual art, I hear the sound and form of it. When I listen to impressive music, it becomes visual in my mind.

When I start composing a new work, I always think first of colours, shapes and textures, and only when I really start writing, they turn into notes, pauses and rhythms.

My music portrays various things all the time, but I cannot tell what they are – every listener experiences music in her/his own way. One thing is certain: my music cannot be described with words only. It must be listened to.”

Osmo Tapio Räihälä is a Finnish composer of art music. His output focuses mostly on instrumental music: he has written several works for the symphony orchestra, concertos, chamber music and solo works. In 1998, he formed the Uusinta Ensemble, which has premiered many of his works. He has been commissoned and/or performed by the likes of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gewandhaus, London Sinfonietta, Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble, Nuova consonanza, Virtuosi di Kuhmo, Helsinki Chamber Choir, nearly all Finnish orchestras, major festivals and musicians – but the most important performance is always the next one. His music is published by Sikorski Musikverlag.

Artist's/Ensemble's own website

Programme

Sun
19.7.

The Heart of the Day - Composer Osmo Tapio Räihälä talks about the Festival's programme (this session will in Finnish, admission free).

Fri
24.7.

The Heart of the Day - Composer Osmo Tapio Räihälä talks about the Festival's programme (this session will in English, admission free).

Sat
25.7.

The Heart of the Day - Composer Osmo Tapio Räihälä talks about the day's programme (this session will in Finnish, admission free).

Sat
25.7.

Luigi Boccherini (1743—1805):

Minuetto from String Quintet in E, Op. 11 No. 5 (G. 275) (1771)

Sat
25.7.

Joseph Haydn (1732—1809):

Poco Adagio - Cantabile from String Quartet in C, Op. 76 No. 3 'Emperor' (1797)

Sat
25.7.

W. A. Mozart (1756—1791):

Molto allegro from String Quartet in G, K. 387 (1782)

Sat
25.7.

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770—1827):

Grave ma non troppo - Allegro from String Quartet No. 16 in F, Op. 135 (1826)

Sat
25.7.

Fanny Mendelssohn (1805—1847):

Adagio ma non troppo from String Quartet in E flat (1834)

Sat
25.7.

Robert Schumann (1810—1856):

Assai agitato from String Quartet No. 3 in A, Op. 41 No. 3 (1842)

Sat
25.7.

Maurice Ravel (1875—1937):

Allegro moderato from String Quartet in F (1902–03)

Sat
25.7.

Alban Berg (1885—1935):

Allegro misterioso from Lyric Suite (1925–26)

Sat
25.7.

Leoš Janáček (1854—1928):

Andante - Con moto - Allegro from String Quartet No. 2 'Intimate Letters' (1928)

Sat
25.7.

Amy Beach (1867—1944):

Movement from String Quartet, Op. 89 (1921–29)

Sat
25.7.

Béla Bartók (1881—1945):

Scherzo from String Quartet No. 5 in B flat (1934)

Sat
25.7.

Dmitry Shostakovich (1906—1975):

Allegro non troppo from String Quartet No. 3 in F, Op. 73 (1946)

Sat
25.7.

Kaija Saariaho (1952—2023):

Fleurs de neige from Neiges (1998, arr. for string quartet by composer 2013)

Sat
25.7.

Jaakko Kuusisto (1974—2022):

Movement from Play III, Op. 21 (2008)