The renowned Czech Talich Quartet is to appear this summer at the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival. The tour announced by the Brentano Quartet taking in the whole of Europe has been cancelled. “We welcomed them to Kuhmo all the same, but since the rest of the tour has been cancelled, they cannot unfortunately make it,” says Kuhmo Chamber Music’s Artistic Director Vladimir Mendelssohn.
Mendelssohn is particularly pleased that the Festival managed to engage the Talich Quartet in place of the Brentano. “The Talich is one of the great European string quartets. It has traditions spanning two generations already and an impressive list of recordings and tours to all parts of the world. They are outstanding musicians and admirably continue the Central European tradition.”
The quartet formed by Jan Talich in 1964 is regarded as one of Europe’s finest chamber music ensembles. It is already in its second generation, and its leader is now Jan Talich Jr. The quartet has received glowing reviews in New York and Paris alike. It has recorded string quartets by Felix Mendelssohn and others and was awarded a Grammy for its disc of chamber music by Janáček.
[subtitle]Antti Tanttu this year’s visual artist[/subtitle]
Kuhmo Chamber Music’s traditional art exhibition this summer features large woodcuts by Antti Tanttu, one of Finland’s leading graphic artists. Tanttu has adapted the woodcut, its technique and idiom to bring it in line with the present day and in a way that speaks to the viewer.
“His silhouettes are striking and enigmatic,” says Markku Valkonen of Tanttu’s work. “They seem to occupy a world where time has stood still between events, as if only a shadow, or a ghost of a memory remains.”
The exhibition will be open at the Kuhmo Arts Centre from July 12 to 25.
[b]Further info:[/b]
Kuhmo Chamber Music
Tel. +358 8 652 0936