CELEBRATION
”One cannot have too large a party.”
Jane Austen
‘Celebration’, the theme of this year’s festival, was still only a vague idea when different causes for celebration suddenly started popping into our heads with increasing frequency. Of course, we already knew that Oulu, Kuhmo and 38 other municipalieties from northern Finland were going to be a European Capital of Culture 2026, but to our surprise, a number of celebrations within our own festival fall in 2026 too: the Kuhmo Music Society celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, while the Patron’s Association of the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival turns 50. And that’s not all, because in 2026 the City of Kuhmo will turn 40, and our wonderful annual guest the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE celebrates a full 100 years since its inception. It seemed obvious that the planets were aligning. Kuhmo Chamber Music 2026 looks set to be one great big party.
The Finnish word juhla (‘party, celebration’) and its many usages in our language served as a source of great inspiration while we were planning this year’s programme. Alongside celebrating these significant anniversaries, it gives us the opportunity to explore musical and societal phenomena, there is a strong association with ritual and ceremony, and it forces us to consider the possible hangover – and the price – that follows such celebration.
As we write this, the warm summer months and the festival feel far away, the excitement and expectation are through the roof, and the morning-after seems only a faint possibility in the dim and distant future. “Life is a party, and you’re invited” is an aphorism that we encounter around the world and all over the internet. In that same spirit, you are cordially invited to Kuhmo Chamber Music 2026!
Minna Pensola and Antti Tikkanen
Artistic Directors
P.S. We are thrilled and humbled to announce that the Finland Festivals organisation has named Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival of the Year 2026! No gifts, please. Your presence, your curious, attentive ears, your applause and your enthusiasm are the best gifts we could ever imagine.
Sunday 12.7.2026
Sunday 12.7.2026
1. 15.00 Lentiira Church — €28/21
Lentiiran kirkkotie 51 (driving time from the centre of Kuhmo approx. 45 min)
Pre-party in Lentiira
Jaakko Kuusisto (1974—2022):
Buffalo Encore for three violins (2015)
W. A. Mozart (1756—1791):
Serenade in C, K. 648 for string trio 'Ganz kleine Nachtmusik' (ca. 1766–69)
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835—1921):
Andante in E flat for French horn and organ (1853 or before)
Eugène Ysaÿe (1858—1931):
Sonata No. 3 in D minor, Op. 27 No. 3 for violin 'Ballade' (1923)
J. C. Bach (1735—1782):
Organ Concerto in E flat
Sunday 12.7.2026
2. 19.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre — €33/25 **
Carnival
Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887—1959):
O ginêto do Pierrozinho (Little Pierrot’s Horse) and A manhã de Pierrete (Pierrette’s Morning) from Carnaval das Crianças (Children's Carnival), W 157 for piano (1919–20)
Nicolò Paganini (1782—1840):
The Carnival of Venice, Op. 10 for violin and piano (1829)
Astor Piazzolla (1921—1992):
The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires (1965–69)
Interval
Animal-themed texts will be read between the movements by Katja Küttner (in Finnish).
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835—1921):
The Carnival of the Animals (1886)
Lauri Toivio (1972—):
The Elk Hunt, Op. 10 No. 2 (2001)
Lauri Kilpiö (1974—):
Goat and the Wolf's Glance (2001)
Lauri Toivio (1972—):
The Bream and the Rabbit, Op. 10 No. 1 (2001)
Uljas Pulkkis (1975—):
A Mosquito (2001)
Monday 13.7.2026
10.00 Salakamari
The Heart of the Day - Artistic directors Minna Pensola and Antti Tikkanen discuss the process of putting together this year’s programme (this session will in Finnish, admission free).
Monday 13.7.2026
3. 11.00 Kuhmo Church — €28/21
Let the party begin - sound the organ!
Erkki Melartin (1875—1937):
Festive March from the Incidental Music Sleeping Beauty, Op. 22 for organ (1904)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770—1827):
Piano Trio in E flat, Op. 1 No. 1 (1793)
Franz Liszt (1811—1886):
Prelude and Fugue from the Theme B-A-C-H, S. 260/2 for organ (1855–70)
Monday 13.7.2026
4. 15.00 Tuupala Primary School — €28/21
Banquet buffet: entrées
Aram Khachaturian (1903—1978):
Trio for clarinet, violin and piano (1932)
W. A. Mozart (1756—1791):
Divertimento in F, K. 138 (1772)
Monday 13.7.2026
5. 18.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre — €33/25
Fathers' day
While Clara Schumann was still in nappies, her father decided that his daughter would fulfil his highest ambitions: she was to become an acclaimed soloist and composer. Clara was the apple of her father’s eye, and he gave her every opportunity he could, until, despite his plans, a man appeared in their lives, a man who changed everything: Robert. And the rest is history.
Clara Schumann (1819—1896):
Three Romances, Op. 22 (1853, arr. for flute and piano by Carolyn Brown)
Fanny Mendelssohn’s musical education was every bit as comprehensive as that of her brother Felix; she too had extensive conversations with Goethe and was ready to take on the world, but that world wasn’t yet ready to give female musicians the chance of a career.
Fanny Mendelssohn (1805—1847):
Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 11 (1846–47)
Interval
Corporal punishment was still relatively common during Kaija Saariaho’s childhood in the 1950s. Whenever her father was building up to another fit of rage, Kaija’s mother would tuck her into bed and say: “Stay here and be as quiet as you can”.
As a young entrepreneur, Launo Laakkonen, Kaija Saariaho's father, was a workaholic. He worked long hours, sometimes even at the weekend. He only drank rarely, though on some weekends he drank to “calm himself down”. But he could be gentle and encouraging too. Kaija was able to take violin lessons, the family bought a piano at her behest, and she was given a guitar and guitar lessons.
Her father doubted whether such a shy girl would be able to survive as a performing artist, but he supported her studies nonetheless.
Helsingin Sanomat 12.10.2022
Kaija Saariaho (1952—2023):
Sept papillons for cello (2000)
Alma Mahler (1879—1964):
In meines Vaters Garten (1910, lyrics: Otto Erich Hartleben)
Wolfgang Mozart and his sister Nannerl were a product of their father Leopold, a miraculous circus act paraded through the courts of Europe. Their father was convinced of his children’s talents and the righteousness of his own agenda, but at some point he too had to learn to let them go.
W. A. Mozart (1756—1791):
Clarinet Quintet in A, K. 581 'Stadler' (1789)
Monday 13.7.2026
6. 21.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre — €28/21
Adults only
Johann Strauss II (1825—1899):
Wein, Weib und Gesang, Op. 333 (1869, arr. for salon ensemble by Alban Berg, 1921)
AUTUMN (L'AUTONNO)
Celebrates the peasant, with songs and dances,
The pleasure of a bountiful harvest.
And fired up by Bacchus' liquor,
many end their revelry in sleep.
Everyone is made to forget their cares and to sing and dance
By the air which is tempered with pleasure
And by the season that invites so many, many
Out of their sweetest slumber to fine enjoyment.
The hunters emerge at the new dawn,
And with horns and dogs and guns depart upon their hunting
The beast flees and they follow its trail;
Terrified and tired of the great noise
Of guns and dogs, the beast, wounded, threatens
Languidly to flee, but harried, dies.
Antonio Vivaldi (trans. Armand D'Angour)
Antonio Vivaldi (1678—1741):
Violin Concerto in F, Op. 8 No. 3 'Autumn' (1723)
Thomas Adès (1971—):
Life Story, Op. 8a (1994, lyrics: Tennessee Williams)
Tuesday 14.7.2026
10.00 Salakamari
The Heart of the Day
The Heart of the Day - Cellist Trey Lee talks about the Musicus Soloist Hong Kong, of which he is a founding member, and its collaboration with Kuhmo Chamber Music over the years (this session will in English, admission free).
Tuesday 14.7.2026
7. 11.00 Kuhmo Church — €28/21
Consumer spree
Did you know that listening to a single piece of music on an online streaming service uses as much energy as toasting a slice of bread? Do your bit for the environment: listen to live music instead!
Extreme weather phenomena are the bane of our modern lives. As you read this, waiting for the next concert to start, have a look at the weather: are you sweating, is it pouring with rain, did you pack your thermals?
Johannes Brahms (1833—1897):
Regenlied (Rainsong), Op. 59 No. 3 (1870–73, lyrics: Klaus Groth)
Johannes Brahms (1833—1897):
Allegro molto moderato from Sonata No. 1 in G, Op. 78 for violin and piano 'Regenlied Sonata' (1878–79)
The creation of the work originated from my witnessing and imagination of the changes in a city that I have visited several times. It has transformed from a vast field, vibrant, to a city densely populated with high-rise buildings, the narrow sky was filled with the dim smoke of factories. In the future, I think this city will turn into a ruin.
Xiaowen Lei
Xiaowen Lei (1994—):
Fields, Cities, Skies and Ruins for piano trio (2024)
SUMMER (L’ESTATE)
Under a hard season, fired up by the sun
Languishes man, languishes the flock and burns the pine
We hear the cuckoo's voice;
then sweet songs of the turtledove and finch are heard.
Soft breezes stir the air, but threatening
the North Wind sweeps them suddenly aside.
The shepherd trembles,
fearing violent storms and his fate.
The fear of lightning and fierce thunder
Robs his tired limbs of rest
As gnats and flies buzz furiously around.
Alas, his fears were justified
The Heavens thunder and roar and with hail
Cut the head off the wheat and damages the grain
Antonio Vivaldi (trans. Armand D'Angour)
Antonio Vivaldi (1678—1741):
Violin Concerto in G minor, Op. 8 No. 2 'Summer' (1723)
Oskar Merikanto (1868—1924):
Onnelliset (The Happy Ones), Op. 15 (1898 or before, lyrics: Aleksis Kivi)
Tuesday 14.7.2026
8. 15.00 Tuupala Primary School — €28/21
Children's party
We are thrilled to invite you all to a concert of new compositions by talented young composers! Join us as 12-year-olds Clara, Gioacchino, Felix and Olli and 17-year-old Dmitry present their newest works.
Gioacchino Rossini (1792—1868):
String Sonata No. 3 in C for two violins, cello and double bass (ca. 1804)
Felix Mendelssohn (1809—1847):
String Symphony No. 6 in E flat (1821)
Tuesday 14.7.2026
9. 18.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre — €33/25
Helter skelter
Content warning: this concert features flashy virtuosity and break-neck speeds and may increase the listener’s pulse.
The young Jörg Widmann had something of a eureka moment at a Berlin techno club and immediately decided to turn it into a fast, relentless piece whose constantly changing time signatures and rhythmic complexity elevate the performers’ pulse almost to the level of the work’s title.
Jörg Widmann (1973—):
180 beats per minute for string sextet (1993)
Olli Mustonen (1967—):
Nonetto II (2000)
Interval
Felix Mendelssohn (1809—1847):
Concerto in D minor for violin, piano and strings (1823)
THIS CONCERT’S FRIEND IS KAINUUN SANOMAT.
Tuesday 14.7.2026
10. 21.00 Chapel — €28/21
Kappelikuja 1 (approx. 1 km from the Kuhmo Arts Centre)
Late-night langueur
J. S. Bach (1685—1750):
Sonata in B minor, BWV 1030 for flute and organ (1736–37)
Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (1710—1784):
Sonata in F, F. 10 for two keyboards
Wednesday 15.7.2026
10.00 Salakamari
The Heart of the Day - Soprano Helena Juntunen (this session will in Finnish, admission free)
Wednesday 15.7.2026
11. 11.00 Kuhmo Church — €28/21
Jubilee
In 2026, we celebrate 270 years since Mozart’s birth…
W. A. Mozart (1756—1791):
Piano Trio in E, K. 542 (1788)
…Kurtág’s 100th birthday...
György Kurtág (1926—):
Hommage à Mihály András, 12 Microludes, Op. 13 for string quartet (1977)
… 100 years since the death of Eino Leino...
Toivo Kuula (1883—1918):
Tuijotin tulehen kauan (Long gazed I into the Fire), Op. 2 No. 2 (1904–07, lyrics: Eino Leino)
Leevi Madetoja (1887—1947):
Serenade, Op. 16 No. 1 (lyrics: Eino Leino)
Oskar Merikanto (1868—1924):
Omenankukat (Apple Blossoms), Op. 53 No. 1 (1905, lyrics: Eino Leino)
...and 250 since the American Declaration of Independence.
Louis Moreau Gottschalk (1829—1869):
Paraphrase on National Airs, Op. 48 for piano 'Union' (1862)
Wednesday 15.7.2026
12.30 Tuupala Primary School
Student Concert (admission free)
- Students of the music courses
Wednesday 15.7.2026
12. 15.00 Tuupala Primary School — €28/21
Banquet buffet: fruits de mer
Jouni Kaipainen (1956—2015):
Piano Trio No. 2, Op. 102 '…The Pike Rose to the Spruce's Crone…' (2014)
Franz Schubert (1797—1828):
Piano Quintet in A, D. 667 'Trout' (1819)
Wednesday 15.7.2026
13. 18.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre — €33/25
Rituals I
John Adams (1947—):
Shaker Loops (1978, arr. for string orchestra 1983)
Igor Stravinsky (1882—1971):
Le Sacre du Printemps (the Rite of Spring) for two pianos (1912–13)
Interval
Wednesday 15.7.2026
14. 21.00 Kuhmo Church — €28/21 **
Celebration of love
Langsamer Satz – Webern’s slow movement for string quartet is an autobiographical work radiating with the joy of a young man intoxicated with love: Webern had spent Whitsun hiking with his cousin Wilhelmine Mörtl and ecstatically noted in his diary that “Two souls were united as one!”. In 1912, the young lovers were finally wed in holy matrimony.
Anton Webern (1883—1945):
Langsamer Satz for string quartet (1905)
Marguerite Monnot (1903—1961):
Hymne à l'amour (1949, lyrics: Édith Piaf)
Edward Elgar (1857—1934):
Salut d'amour, Op. 12 for violin and piano (1888)
“On the cover you must have a picture, namely a head with a pistol to it. Now you can form some conception of the music! I’ll send you my photograph for the purpose. You can use the blue coat, yellow breeches, and top-boots, since you seem to like colour-printing”, wrote Johannes Brahms to his publisher upon completion of his Piano Quartet No. 3 in an apparent reference to Goethe’s The Sorrows of Young Werther, in which a young man commits suicide because of unrequited love.
Johannes Brahms (1833—1897):
Piano Quartet No. 3 in C minor, Op. 60 (1855–75)
Thursday 16.7.2026
10.00 Salakamari
The Heart of the Day - Translator couple Ville Keynäs and Anu Partanen talk about the background and genesis of the programme 'Rituals II' (this session will in Finnish, admission free).
- Ville Keynäs
- Anu Partanen
Thursday 16.7.2026
15. 11.00 Kuhmo Church — €28/21
Graduation ceremony
In the early 20th century, the theme from the middle section of Elgar’s ‘Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1’ – more commonly known as the melody to ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ – gradually became a staple at graduation marches across the United States, and over time it became a symbol of achievement and transition.
Edward Elgar (1857—1934):
Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 in D, Op. 39 No. 1 (1901, arr. for organ by Edwin Lemaire)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770—1827):
Violin Sonata No. 5 in F, Op. 24 'Spring' (1800–01, arr. for string trio by Anssi Karttunen)
Robert Schumann (1810—1856):
Im wunderschönen Monat Mai, Op. 48 No. 1 (1840, lyrics: Heinrich Heine)
Robert Schumann (1810—1856):
Frühlingsnacht, Op. 39 No. 12 (1840, lyrics: Joseph von Eichendorff)
When Finnish students graduate from high school, they are given a white velvet hat bearing a golden lyre. In keeping with European academic tradition, after placing the white hat on their heads, the graduates and their guests then burst out in a rendition of the old Latin hymn ‘Gaudeamus igitur’.
Gaudeamus igitur (Hymn-along)
SPRING (LA PRIMAVERA)
Springtime is upon us.
The birds celebrate her return with festive song,
and murmuring streams are
softly caressed by the breezes.
Thunderstorms, those heralds of Spring, roar,
casting their dark mantle over heaven,
Then they die away to silence,
and the birds take up their charming songs once more.
On the flower-strewn meadow, with leafy branches
rustling overhead, the goat-herd sleeps,
his faithful dog beside him.
Led by the festive sound of rustic bagpipes,
nymphs and shepherds lightly dance
beneath spring's beautiful canopy.
Antionio Vivaldi (trans. Armand D’Angour)
Antonio Vivaldi (1678—1741):
Violin Concerto in E, Op. 8 No. 1 'Spring' (1723)
THIS CONCERT CELEBRATES THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE KUHMO MUSIC SOCIETY.
Thursday 16.7.2026
12.30 Tuupala Primary School
Student Concert (admission free)
- Students of the music courses
Thursday 16.7.2026
16. 15.00 Tuupala Primary School — €28/21
The birth of the string quartet
It is often hard to determine the exact year when musical styles or phenomena were born. For instance, who invented the string quartet? Joseph Haydn is often cited as the father of the genre, but there are other possible candidates for that title too, some dating from the period before Haydn’s first published string quartets (1755–57). With string quartets of their own composed between 1755–1760, Franz Xaver Richter, Luigi Boccherini and Alessandro Scarlatti could all lay claim to that title and celebrate accordingly.
Alessandro Scarlatti (1660—1725):
Sonata a quattro No. 1 in F minor (1725 or before)
Franz Xaver Richter (1709—1789):
String Quartet in C, Op. 5 No. 1 (ca. 1757)
Luigi Boccherini (1743—1805):
String Quartet in C minor, Op. 2 No. 1 (G. 159) (1761)
Joseph Haydn (1732—1809):
String Quartet in B flat, Op. 1 No. 1 'La chasse' (ca. 1760)
Thursday 16.7.2026
17. 18.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre — €33/25
Rituals II
“Unlike physical growth, the social life cycle of a human being progresses in leaps. These ‘leaps’ have traditionally taken the form of rites prescribed by the community, through which an individual passes from one status to another. Through these rites, a person has been thought to become, first of all, a human being as such (baptism), then an adult (a rite of passage), a spouse (marriage), a professional (graduation), a parent (the birth of a child), a pensioner (retirement), and finally the deceased (funeral rites). The concert consists of excerpts from literary works describing moments of transition, interwoven with musical works.”
Ville Keynäs and Anu Partanen
Rituals II is a concert programme curated by translator-couple Ville Keynäs and Anu Partanen. The poems and extracts were written by Eduardo Galeano, Merja Virolainen, Ilpo Tiihonen, Zoé Valdés, Väinö Linna, Hannu Marttila, Eeva Kilpi, Tove Jansson and Maylis de Kerangal, and they will be recited by the actress Katja Küttner (in Finnish).
Darius Milhaud (1892—1974):
Prelude from La création du monde, Op. 81b for piano quintet (1923)
Nicola Matteis (1650—1713):
Diverse bizzarie sopra la Vecchia, Sarabanda o pur Ciaccona (1676)
Dave Anderson (1962—):
Parade of the Politically Prudent Pigs from Seven Double Bass Duets (1996)
Interval
Heikki Aaltoila (1905—1992):
Akselin ja Elinan häävalssi (Akseli's and Elina's Wedding Waltz) (1968)
Antonín Dvořák (1841—1904):
Slavonic Dance in E minor, Op. 72 No. 2 (1886, arr. for violin and piano by Fritz Kreisler)
Olivier Messiaen (1908—1992):
Appel interstellaire from Des canyons aux étoiles (1971–74)
Franz Liszt (1811—1886):
Liebestraum (Dream of Love) No. 3, S. 541 (1850, arr. for cello and piano by Gaspard Cassadó)
Joseph Haydn (1732—1809):
Andante from String Quartet in F, Op. 77 No. 2 (1799)
The texts are recited by actress Katja Küttner (in Finnish).
Thursday 16.7.2026
18. 18.00 Nuokkari in Iisalmi — €33/25 *
Kirkkopuistonkatu 25, 74100 Iisalmi (driving time from the centre of Kuhmo approx. 2,5 h)
Interval
Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840—1893):
Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50 'In memory of a great artist' (1881–82)
THIS CONCERT IS BROUGHT TO YOU IN COOPERATION WITH OP KASKIMAA AND IISALMI CULTURAL SERVICES.
Thursday 16.7.2026
19. 21.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre — €30/23
Nosferatu
The film lasts 1,5 hours without an interval.
”I am thrilled to be presenting, together with my dear friend David Cohen, this live score for Murnau’s cinematic masterpiece, Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, here at the Kuhmo Festival! Nosferatu is an (unauthorized) adaptation of Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel, Dracula.
I found a true passion in creating and performing silent film scores. It is an incredible way to stretch my creativity—not only composing but then playing and being led by the images in real time. While we are not free to play as we please (we have to keep pace with the film!), the grand gestures and even the facial expressions of the characters on screen call for a very physical and gestural way of playing, matching the visual urgency of the images. In my opinion, this highly engaged and immersive form of viewing compels the audience to surrender more completely to the storytelling. I hope you enjoy the Cinematic Experience!”
Yuval Gotlibovich
Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau (1888—1931):
Film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922, music composed by Yuval Gotlibovich, text in English)
Friday 17.7.2026
Friday 17.7.2026
TODAY’S PARTNER IS OP KASKIMAA.
10.00 Salakamari
The Heart of the Day - In conversation with today’s featured composer, the pianist and conductor Olli Mustonen (this session will in Finnish, admission free)
Friday 17.7.2026
11.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre/Pajakka Hall
Student Concert (admission free)
- Students of the music courses
Friday 17.7.2026
20. 11.00 Kuhmo Church — €28/21
A Bach Family occasion
Johann Sebastian Bach had twenty children by two different wives. All those who went on to pursue a career in music received a thorough musical education from their father.
JOHANN CHRISTOPH FRIEDRICH: Johann Sebastian’s 19th child, known as the “Bach of Bückeburg”
Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach (1732—1795):
Symphony in D minor, W. I/3 for strings and basso continuo (by 1768)
JOHANN CHRISTIAN: The youngest of the family. After his father’s death, his older brother Carl Philip Emanuel took responsibility for his musical education. A close friend of Mozart’s.
Johann Christian Bach (1735—1782):
Sonata in A, Op. 17 No. 5 for fortepiano (1779)
JOHANN BERNHARD: Bach the Elder’s cousin and a colleague of Telemann
Johann Bernhard Bach (1676—1749):
Chaconne No. 3 in G, BWV II Anh. 84 for organ
CARL PHILIPP EMANUEL: The most famous and most successful of all Bach’s children, he worked in Berlin and Hamburg, he was immensely productive and had a great influence on the music of the future.
C. Ph. E. Bach (1714—1788):
Piano Trio in D, H. 530 (1776 or earlier)
WILHELM FRIEDEMANN: The second-eldest child. Despite being an ingenious improviser and composer, he was unable to forge a financially viable music career.
Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (1710—1784):
Viola Duet in G, F. 61 (ca. 1775)
J. S. Bach (1685—1750):
Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 for organ (?before 1708)
Friday 17.7.2026
21. 13.00 Tuupala Primary School — €12
Chamber music workshop
W. A. Mozart (1756—1791):
French Horn Quintet in E flat, K. 407 (1782)
- Ilkka Puputti
- Jason Fisher
- Students of the music courses
Franz Schubert (1797—1828):
String Quartet No. 13 in A minor, D. 804 'Rosamunde' (1824)
- Levon Chilingirian
- Students of the music courses
Friday 17.7.2026
22. 15.00 Tuupala Primary School — €28/21
Cool contrasts - Oulu2026
WINTER (L’INVERNO)
To tremble from cold in the icy snow,
In the harsh breath of a horrid wind;
To run, stamping one's feet every moment,
Our teeth chattering in the extreme cold.
Before the fire to pass peaceful,
Contented days while the rain outside pours down.
We tread the icy path slowly and cautiously,
for fear of tripping and falling.
Then turn abruptly, slip, crash on the ground and,
rising, hasten on across the ice lest it cracks up.
We feel the chill north winds course through the home
despite the locked and bolted doors...
this is winter, which nonetheless
brings its own delights.
Antonio Vivaldi (trans. Armand D'Angour)
Antonio Vivaldi (1678—1741):
Violin Concerto in F minor, Op. 8 No. 4 'Winter' (1723)
Olli Mustonen (1967—):
Sonata for two violins (2026, commissioned by Kuhmo Chamber Music, premiere)
THE COMPOSITION AND ITS WORLD PREMIERE ARE PART OF THE EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE YEAR CELEBRATIONS. THEY ARE PART OF THE Oulu2026 THEME "COOL CONTRASTS".
Béla Bartók (1881—1945):
Contrasts, BB 116 for violin, clarinet and piano (1938)
Friday 17.7.2026
23. 17.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre — €33/25 *
Valentine's day
Jean Sibelius (1865—1957):
Vänskapens blomma (The Flower of Friendship), Op. 57 No. 7 (1909, lyrics: Ernst Josephson)
Jean Sibelius (1865—1957):
Var det en dröm? (Was it a dream?), Op. 37 No. 4 (1902, lyrics: Josef Julius Wecksell)
Robert Schumann was fascinated with the idea of collaborating with other composers, and he did this on several occasions, notably with his wife Clara. Having befriended the young Brahms and Albert Dietrich, he suggested writing a collaborative sonata for their common friend Joseph Joachim. Joachim’s personal motto was Frei aber einsam (‘free but alone’). This was to become the name of the work, and the melody F-A-E can be heard in different iterations throughout the work.
Albert Dietrich (1829—1908):
F. A. E. Sonata (Frei aber einsam) mov. I for violin and piano (1853)
Robert Schumann (1810—1856):
F. A. E. Sonata (Frei aber einsam) mov. II for violin and piano (1853)
Johannes Brahms (1833—1897):
F. A. E. Sonata (Frei aber einsam) mov. III for violin and piano (1853)
Robert Schumann (1810—1856):
F. A. E. Sonata (Frei aber einsam) mov. IV for violin and piano (1853)
Vladimir Vysotski (1938—1980):
A Song about a Friend (1967, lyrics: Vladimir Vysotski)
Interval
The pianist Nikolai Rubinstein, founder of the Moscow Conservatory, was a close friend and supporter of Tchaikovsky’s.
But their relationship wasn’t always smooth. Their most famous rift centred around Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, which Rubinstein initially dismissed out of hand. Later, however, he apologised to Tchaikovsky and became a fervent champion of the piece. Their reconciliation was extremely important to Tchaikovsky.
Rubinstein’s sudden death in 1881 deeply affected Tchaikovsky. The Piano Trio was composed as an homage to his lost friend, and it was to remain Tchaikovsky’s only contribution to the genre and, as such, a unique tribute to their friendship.
Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840—1893):
Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50 'In memory of a great artist' (1881–82)
Friday 17.7.2026
24. 20.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre — €33/25
Soirée royale
Arja Koriseva, crowned Tango Queen of 1989 at the Seinäjoki Tango Festival – the oldest tango festival in the world – and a beloved entertainer with a career spanning many decades, takes the audience on a journey through songs familiar and less familiar, accompanied by a band assembled by multi-instrumentalist Jarmo Julkunen and double bassist Jani Pensola, the core members of the Alakulo Ensemble. This concert will have an interval.
THIS CONCERT’S PARTNER IS OP KASKIMAA.
Saturday 18.7.2026
10.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre/Cafeteria Juttua
The Heart of the Day - Author Timo Parvela and actress Lotta Kuusisto in conversation about children’s reading skills and how to encourage young people to read more (this session will in Finnish, admission free).
Saturday 18.7.2026
25. 11.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre — €28/21
Finnish flag days
INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S RIGHTS DAY, 20TH NOVEMBER
Sergey Prokofiev (1891—1953):
Music for Children, Op. 65 for piano (1935)
MINNA CANTH DAY (FINNISH EQUALITY DAY), 19TH MARCH
“The ‘woman question’ is not merely a question for women but for all humanity.”
“Still, one constantly hears people speak of women’s supposed inherent weakness, as if this were an obstacle to her full rights. Raise the boy as aimlessly and narrow-mindedly as the girl, straighten the young man out in the mangle, then see how strong and healthy he ends up.”
Minna Canth (1844–1897), writer, editor, women's rights activist, entrepreneur, significant opinion and societal figure
Cecilia Damström (1988—):
Minna - Pictures from the life of Minna Canth, Op. 53 for piano quintet (2017)
FINNISH MUSIC DAY, JEAN SIBELIUS'S BIRTHDAY, 8TH DECEMBER
Jean Sibelius (1865—1957):
Illalle (To Evening), Op. 17 No. 6 (1898, lyrics: A. V. Forsman-Koskimies)
Jean Sibelius (1865—1957):
Höstkväll (Autumn Night), Op. 38 No. 1 (1903, lyrics: Viktor Rydberg)
Jean Sibelius (1865—1957):
Den första kyssen (The First Kiss), Op. 37 No. 1 (1900, lyrics: Johan Ludvig Runeberg)
Jean Sibelius (1865—1957):
Små flickorna (Little Girls) (1920, lyrics: Hjalmar Procopé)
Saturday 18.7.2026
26. 13.00 Tuupala Primary School — €15 **
Ella's birthday: a story concert
Children's concert for anyone aged 4 to 104
Conceived by writer Timo Parvela, actress Lotta Kuusisto and accordionist Niko Kumpuvaara, this story concert is a celebration of friendship, ingenuity – and mishaps. Timo Parvela selected the best bits from his Ella and Friends stories and Iiro Rantala composed the songs. The show lasts around 45 minutes and will be performed in Finnish.
Iiro Rantala (1970—):
Ella's birthday (Script: Timo Parvela)
Saturday 18.7.2026
27. 15.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre — €33/25
Happy birthday! Storioni Trio at 30
”Join us in a festive concert celebrating three decades of music-making with the Storioni Trio. In this special anniversary programme, we will guide the audience through our musical journey — sharing anecdotes, memories, and dreams — while performing movements of works that have marked our path together.”
Storioni Trio: Bart, Wouter and Marc
Franz Schubert (1797—1828):
Quote from Piano Trio in B flat, D. 28 'Sonatensatz' (1812)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770—1827):
Allegro vivace e con brio from Piano Trio in D, Op. 70 No. 1 'Ghost' (1808)
Robert Schumann (1810—1856):
Langsam, mit inniger Empfindung from Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 63 (1847)
Antonín Dvořák (1841—1904):
Allegro from Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor, Op. 90 'Dumky' (1890–91)
Interval
Joseph Haydn (1732—1809):
Andantino ed innocentemente and Finale from Piano Trio No. 45 in E flat, Hob. XV:29 (1797)
Dmitry Shostakovich (1906—1975):
Largo and Allegretto-Adagio from Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67 (1944)
Felix Mendelssohn (1809—1847):
Molto allegro agitato from Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 49 (1839)
Saturday 18.7.2026
28. 18.00 Kuhmo Church — €28/21
Good Friday
Joseph Haydn (1732—1809):
The Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross, Op. 51 for string quartet (1787)
Saturday 18.7.2026
29. 20.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre — €33/25
Dancing at Kuhmo Arts Centre
An evening celebrating the spirit of the roaring 20s – both the 1920s and our current decade…
The concert begins in Lentua Hall, then during the interval we will relocate to the foyer at the Kuhmo Arts Centre. Headlining the fun and games are soloists Helena Juntunen and Ulla Tapaninen, accompanied by accordion wizard Niko Kumpuvaara and a whole host of this year’s festival artists.
THIS CONCERT'S FRIEND IS THE PATRON'S ASSOCIATION OF THE KUHMO CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL. THIS CONCERT IS PART OF THE ASSOCIATION’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS.
Sunday 19.7.2026
10.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre/Cafeteria Juttua
The Heart of the Day - Composer Osmo Tapio Räihälä talks about the Festival's programme (this session will in Finnish, admission free).
Sunday 19.7.2026
30. 11.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre — €28/21
Keyboard capers
Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre (1665—1729):
Chaconne from Pièces de clavecin, Livre 2 (1707)
J. C. Bach (1735—1782):
Sonata in G, Op. 15 No. 5 for two keyboards (1778)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770—1827):
Grosse Fuge in B flat, Op. 133 (1825–26, arr. for piano four hands by composer)
WEEKLY SEASON TICKET I ENDS/WEEKLY SEASON TICKET II BEGINS. (Concerts 1, 10, 18, 26, 42, 46, 56 and 57 are not included in the weekly season tickets.)
Sunday 19.7.2026
31. 15.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre — €28/21
Christmas
Alessandro Scarlatti (1660—1725):
Christmas Cantata (1695, lyrics: Antonio Ottoboni)
Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840—1893):
December - Christmas from The Seasons, Op. 37b for piano (1876)
Jouni Kaipainen (1956—2015):
Luminoso, Op. 79 for clarinet and piano trio (2006)
Arcangelo Corelli (1653—1713):
Concerto Grosso in G minor, Op. 6 No. 8 'Christmas Concerto' (ca. 1690)
Jean Sibelius (1865—1957):
Giv mig ej glans (We ask for nothing Rich or Rare), Op. 1 No. 4 (1909, lyrics: Zacharias Topelius) (Hymn-along in Finnish)
Sunday 19.7.2026
32. 17.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre — €33/25
Mother's day
Jean Sibelius (1865—1957):
Flickan kom ifrån sin älsklings möte (The Girl returned from Meeting her Lover), Op. 37 No. 5 (1900–01, lyrics: J. L. Runeberg)
The 16-year-old Anton Webern composed these two pieces for his mother, who was a cellist. Very soon after this, Webern’s harmonic language changed completely as he entered the uncharted territories of atonality.
Anton Webern (1883—1945):
Two Pieces for cello and piano (1899)
“One of my favourite pieces of music for solo violin is the Presto from Bach’s Violin Sonata No. 1 in G minor. On the anniversary of my mother’s death, I composed six more pieces to make a suite. The Bach is quoted in the movement ‘Rest These Hands’ which takes its title from three poems my mother wrote in the last year of her life.”
Anna Clyne
I rest these hands
World weary
Misunderstood
I rest these hands
Toiled weary
Long before they shoul
These hands
Palmed to palmed
With wonder
Surrendered
Colleen Clyne
Anna Clyne (1980—):
Rest These Hands for violin (2009)
Accompanied by his mother, Mozart had set out from Salzburg in September 1777 in search of the position his father was sure would bring him fame. The journey—which took him through Mannheim, Paris, and Munich—can hardly be regarded as a success: Mozart spent too much money and found no position at all. The true cataclysm, though, was that his mother became ill and died in Paris in July 1778.Wolfgang wrote seven violin sonatas during this trip. The Sonata in E minor is wistful music, full of a depth of feeling absent from the other five sonatas, and few commentators have been able to resist associating it with the death of Mozart’s mother.
W. A. Mozart (1756—1791):
Sonata No. 21 in E minor, K. 304 for violin and piano (1778)
Aarre Merikanto (1893—1958):
Keinutan kaikua (Caressing the Echo), Op. 16 No. 3 (1935, lyrics: L. Onerva)
Franz Schubert (1797—1828):
Die Mutter Erde, D. 788 (1823, lyrics: Friedrich Leopold Graf zu Stolberg)
Johannes Brahms (1833—1897):
Heimweh II 'O wüsst ich doch den Weg zurück', Op. 63 No. 8 (1874, lyrics: Klaus Groth)
Interval
Christiane Brahms was a charming, lively personality, a domestic goddess, dearly loved by all her children. (Clara Schumann and Joseph Joachim even commented favourably on her cooking skills!) She provided her son Johannes with safety and stability; she was always very proud and supportive of him. Christiane’s death in 1865 affected Johannes greatly; in fact, this was the impetus that spurred the creation of Ein deutsches Requiem and a new trio. The slow movement of the trio is perhaps the most explicit dedication to his mother’s memory, but throughout the work one can hear references to a folksong that Johannes’s mother taught him as a child.
Johannes Brahms (1833—1897):
Trio in E flat, Op. 40 for violin, French horn and piano (1865)
Sunday 19.7.2026
33. 20.00 Kuhmo Church — €28/21
Condolences
J. S. Bach (1685—1750):
Choral Prelude 'Herzlich tut mich verlangen', BWV 727 for organ (1740)
Tomaso Albinoni (1671—1751):
Adagio in G minor for flute and organ (arr. Remo Giazotto 1949)
David Popper (1843—1913):
Requiem in F sharp minor, Op. 66 for three cellos and strings (1892)
- Maja Bogdanović
- Marc Vossen
- Trey Lee
- Modulor Quartet
- Felix Pascoe
- Zoran Marković
Armas Järnefelt (1869—1958):
Berceuse (1904, transcription for cello and piano)
Hymn 30 The Earth is so beautiful (Lyris: Bernhard Severin Ingemann) (Hymn-along in Finnish)
Monday 20.7.2026
10.00 Salakamari
The Heart of the Day - In conversation with today’s featured composer, Cecilia Damström (this session will in Finnish, admission free)
Monday 20.7.2026
34. 11.00 Kuhmo Church — €28/21
Something old, something new, sometihing borrowed, something blue
Western art music is so full of borrowings and quotations from other cultures that these days we barely notice it at all. Debussy took inspiration from exotic sources in his own music without giving it a second thought, as did Rameau in his opera Les Indes galantes, a cavalcade of indigenous peoples and customs (and where the hero of the story is in fact a heroine – who would have thought?!) The early 20th century – and particularly the post-war period – was a time of vibrant cultural ‘cross-contamination’, as it were, during which each new interaction with distant cultures, each new flavour, was in itself an invitation to set off on the adventures that people longed for.
Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683—1764):
Suite from the Opera Les Indes galantes (ca. 1735)
Caroline Shaw (1982—):
Blueprint for string quartet (2016)
”Blueprint is a conversation — with Beethoven, with Haydn (his teacher and the "father" of the string quartet), and with the joys and malinconia of his Op. 18 No. 6.”
Caroline Shaw
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770—1827):
String Quartet No. 6 in B flat, Op. 18 No. 6 'Malinconia' (1798–1800)
Monday 20.7.2026
35. 15.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre — €28/21
Wild City - Oulu2026
Parisian Contrasts
Maurice Ravel (1875—1937):
Allegro from Sonata for violin and cello (1920–22)
Feverish New York
George Gershwin (1898—1937):
Rhapsody in Blue for two pianos (1924)
International Kuhmo
Cecilia Damström (1988—):
Wind Quintet 'Raakku' (2026, commissioned by Kuhmo Chamber Music, premiere)
THE COMPOSITION AND ITS WORLD PREMIERE ARE PART OF THE EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE YEAR CELEBRATIONS. THEY ARE PART OF THE Oulu2026 THEME "WILD CITY".
Les cafés de Paris
Jean Françaix (1912—1997):
L'Heure du Berger for wind quintet and piano (1947)
Monday 20.7.2026
36. 18.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre — €33/25
Birthday presents
A fanfare dedicated to the City of Kuhmo
Outi Tarkiainen (1985—):
Woodland Fanfares for clarinet, cello and piano (2021)
Claus-Dieter Ludwig (1952—):
Happy Birthday, A Birthday Serenade for violin and piano (1997)
Composed for the 100th anniversary of Alban Berg’s birth
Alfred Schnittke (1934—1998):
Moderato from String Trio (1985)
From Felix to his sister Fanny
Felix Mendelssohn (1809—1847):
Piano Trio No. 2 in C minor, Op. 66 (1845)
Interval
Composed for cellist Steven Isserlis on the occasion of his 60th birthday
Olli Mustonen (1967—):
Ilosoitto for violin and piano (2018)
Composed for his newly wed wife Clara as a 23rd birthday present. The parcel contained this and two other string quartets.
Robert Schumann (1810—1856):
String Quartet No. 3 in A, Op. 41 No. 3 (1842)
THIS CONCERT'S FRIEND IS THE CITY OF KUHMO. THIS CONCERT IS PART OF THE CITY’S 40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS.
Monday 20.7.2026
37. 21.00 Kuhmo Church — €28/21
Winterreise
Franz Schubert (1797—1828):
Winterreise (Winter Journey), D. 911 (1827, lyrics: Wilhelm Müller)
THIS CONCERT IS SUPPORTED BY HELENA RANTA.
Tuesday 21.7.2026
10.00 Salakamari
The stories behind this evening’s film - Paola Suhonen (this session will in Finnish, admission free)
- Paola Suhonen
Tuesday 21.7.2026
38. 11.00 Kuhmo Church — €28/21
I do
Jean Sibelius (1865—1957):
Romance in F, Op. 78 No. 2 for violin and piano (1915)
Edvard Grieg (1843—1907):
Jeg elsker Dig (I love you), Op. 5 No. 3 (1864, lyrics: Hans Christian Andersen)
Felix Mendelssohn (1809—1847):
The Wedding March from a Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare, Op. 61
Tuesday 21.7.2026
39. 15.00 Tuupala Primary School — €28/21
Anniversary year head start
This party is hosted by Olli and Ludwig.
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770—1827):
Piano Sonata No. 21 in C, Op. 53 'Waldstein' (1803–04)
Tuesday 21.7.2026
40. 18.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre — €33/25
Happy birthday! Danel Quartet at 35
When it comes to Shostakovich, we have been lucky enough to receive instruction from Valentin Berlinsky of the Borodin Quartet and Fyodor Druzhinin of the Beethoven Quartet. The value of this ‘double tradition’ cannot possibly be understated.
Danel Quartet: Marc, Gilles, Vlad and Yovan
Dmitry Shostakovich (1906—1975):
String Quartet No. 1 in C, Op. 49 (1938)
Since the majority of Weinberg’s works have not yet been published, we have been rehearsing, performing and recording his quartets from parts that we made ourselves, copied directly from his handwritten scores. The process really got under our skin, and the music is so extraordinary that we almost felt like explorers uncovering an incredible, lost civilisation.
Mieczysław Weinberg (1919—1996):
String Quartet No. 2, Op. 3 (1940)
Interval
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770—1827):
String Quartet No. 7 in F, Op. 59 No. 1 'Razumovsky' (1806)
Tuesday 21.7.2026
41. 21.00 Kuhmo Church — €28/21
Banquet buffet: hotpot & roast
Josef Rheinberger (1839—1901):
Suite, Op. 149 for violin, cello and organ (1887)
Antonín Dvořák (1841—1904):
Serenade in D minor, Op. 44 (1878, arr. for wind quintet and strings by František Hertl)
Tuesday 21.7.2026
42. 21.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre
Paola Suhonen (1974—):
Film Keskiyön auringosta ikuisuuteen (From the Midnight Sun to Eternity) (2025) (Suitable for children 12 and above. Language: Finnish with English subtitles.)
The film lasts 2 hours 30 mins without an interval. Admission free
Wednesday 22.7.2026
10.00 Salakamari
The Heart of the Day - Violist-composer Yuval Gotlibovich (this session will in English, admission free)
Wednesday 22.7.2026
43. 11.00 Kuhmo Church — €28/21
Long live diversity
“With the loss of biodiversity, our microbial biomes become poorer and our immune system’s ability to detect real danger is weakened and compromised. Our bodies overreact and turn against themselves. The result is an increase in allergies and inflammatory autoimmune conditions. Thus, the disappearance of species has a direct effect on human health.
Simultaneously, the loss of cultural diversity impoverishes us, narrows our perspective. It leads to increased racism, it makes us close-minded, overly sensitive, stupider and more cynical, it hardens us and leads us to attack our own humanity. It triggers a self-destructive mechanism that rejects humanity, and we begin to eat our own soul.
The loss of cultural diversity has a direct effect on the human mind.”
Author Joel Haahtela
Olivier Messiaen (1908—1992):
Le merle noir (Eurasian Blackbird - Turdus merula) for flute and piano (1951)
George Kontogiorgos (1945—):
Adagio from String Quartet No. 1 'Unicorn' (2006)
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875—1912):
Nonet in F minor, Op. 2 (1894)
Wednesday 22.7.2026
12.30 Tuupala Primary School
Student Concert (admission free)
- Students of the music courses
Wednesday 22.7.2026
44. 15.00 Tuupala Primary School — €28/21
Entrepreneurs' day
Throughout most of history, composers and performing artists have had to have an entrepreneurial spirit, honing their own brands and doing everything they ca to create job opportunities.
Joseph Haydn’s long-standing employer, the Court of Esterházy, provided him with a 25-piece orchestra. Among its number was an especially entrepreneurial violinist named Johannes Tost. Tost was a businessman – in addition to playing the violin, he was a successful cloth merchant – and he used music as a way of drawing attention to his many business interests. In order to garner interest in his cloth business, he commissioned string quartets from many composers, including Haydn, for a trip to Paris where, in addition to showing off his own skills as a virtuoso at numerous dinners and soirées, he was able to showcase works that he himself had commissioned from the famous Austrian. Tost’s business was a highly successful one – in no small part because of occasions like these.
Joseph Haydn (1732—1809):
String Quartet No. 49 in B minor, Op. 64 No. 2 (1790)
Franz Berwald, meanwhile, was a composer to his core, but he never managed to achieve financial security by composition alone. Thus, he tried his hand at everything he could. He founded a glass factory, he was the director of a sawmill, he patented and manufactured orthopaedic equipment, and he was a journalist. These are just a few examples of the side-hustles that allowed him to work as a composer and leave his mark on music history!
Franz Berwald (1796—1868):
Quartet in E flat, Op. 1 for piano and winds (1819)
Ethel Smyth was an inspiration in many ways. Being a female composer was an unprofitable business, to put it mildly, but her determination saw her smash the glass ceiling – and not only with her compositions! Smyth was at the forefront of the struggle for women’s and minority rights, she was a committed Suffragette and publicised her compositions in the very masculine world of Edwardian England, where she eventually conducted orchestras and became the first female composer to be awarded a damehood.
Ethel Smyth (1858—1944):
Sonata in A minor, Op. 5 for cello and piano (1887)
Wednesday 22.7.2026
45. 18.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre — €33/25
YLE at 100: an easily digestible dinner concert
A programme of music in the style of the early radio broadcasts on the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE, complete with a host and an interval (this will be in Finnish).
Franz Schubert (1797—1828):
String Quartet No. 12 in C minor, D. 703 'Quartett-Satz' (1820)
Fritz Kreisler (1875—1962):
Liebesleid, Alt-Wiener Tanzweisen, No. 2 for violin and piano
Fritz Kreisler (1875—1962):
Liebesfreud, Alt-Wiener Tanzweisen, No. 1 for violin and piano (before 1910)
Antonín Reicha (1770—1836):
Lento. Allegro moderato from Wind Quintet in E flat, Op. 88 No. 2 (1818)
Interval
Ernő Dohnányi (1877—1960):
Marcia: Allegro from Serenade in C, Op. 10 for string trio (1902)
W. A. Mozart (1756—1791):
Melodies from the Opera Magic Flute, K. 620 for two violins (1791)
Antonín Dvořák (1841—1904):
Allegro con fuoco from String Quintet No. 2 in G, Op. 77 (1875)
Wednesday 22.7.2026
46. 18.00 Vesantalo
Hyrynsalmentie 1520, 88730 Ylä-Vieksi (driving time from the centre of Kuhmo approx. 30 min)
Paola Suhonen (1974—):
Film Keskiyön auringosta ikuisuuteen (From the Midnight Sun to Eternity) (2025) (Suitable for children 12 and above. Language: Finnish with English subtitles.)
The film lasts 2 hours 30 mins, with an interval ca. 3 hours.
Paola Suhonen discusses the film’s background at 17.30 pm.
Interval refreshments courtesy of the Ylä-Vieksi Village Association Café.
Wednesday 22.7.2026
47. 21.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre — €28/21
Fiesta de la muerte - festival of the dead
Gabriela Ortiz (1964—):
La Calaca from Altar de Muertos for string quartet (1997)
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835—1921):
Danse macabre, Op. 40 (1874, transcription for violin and piano)
Thursday 23.7.2026
10.00 Salakamari
The Heart of the Day - In conversation with today’s featured composer, Krishna Nagaraja (this session will in English, admission free)
Thursday 23.7.2026
48. 11.00 Kuhmo Church — €28/21
Kamarista coaching programme
From the Kuhmo Chamber is a new intensive programme at Kuhmo Chamber Music. Each year, the artistic directors will select 2-3 promising chamber-music ensembles to participate in the programme. During the 2026 festival, instruction and guidance will be provided by Levon Chilingirian, Johannes Meissl and Meta4.
As part of the programme, the groups and their individual members will perform at concerts throughout the festival. So it is our great honour to introduce – straight from the Kuhmo chamber – the Karelia and Modulor string quartets!
THE KAMARISTA COACHING PROGRAMME IS THE SUPPORTED BY THE JENNY AND ANTTI WIHURI FOUNDATION.
Thursday 23.7.2026
12.30 Tuupala Primary School
Student Concert (admission free)
- Students of the music courses
Thursday 23.7.2026
49. 15.00 Tuupala Primary School — €28/21
Brave Hinterland – Oulu2026
Leevi Madetoja (1887—1947):
Piano Trio in E minor, Op. 1 (1909)
Krishna Nagaraja (1975—):
Peripheries for string quartet (2026, commissioned by Kuhmo Chamber Music, premiere)
THE COMPOSITION AND ITS WORLD PREMIERE ARE PART OF THE EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE YEAR CELEBRATIONS. THEY ARE PART OF THE Oulu2026 THEME "BRAVE HINTERLAND".
Thursday 23.7.2026
50. 18.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre — €33/25
Pride
John Koenig’s work The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows is a collection of new words for different emotions. It seeks to shed light on the curious question of what it means to be human.
Mark Simpson (1988—):
The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows for wind quintet (2024)
Tchaikovsky’s homosexuality, or the mere possibility of its being revealed, struck fear into those around him. The threat of a scandal was always lurking around the corner, a scandal that the composer’s circle – everyone from his family to the aristocracy – was keen to avoid. Tchaikovsky’s death gave rise to speculation and theories ranging from suicide to poisoning or the composer’s contracting cholera by accidentally drinking a glass of dirty water. While Tchaikovsky’s death is the subject of much fascination, sadly no one thought to ask him how he would have preferred to live.
Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840—1893):
String Quartet No. 1 in D, Op. 11 (1871)
Interval
Very often, those fighting for equality are themselves members of a minority group, sometimes several minorities at once. Ethel Smyth advocated for women’s suffrage and was in a relationship with another woman at a time when women doing ‘men’s work’ was always viewed with scepticism and suspicion. She was a brave, determined human-rights campaigner and an inspiration for many marginalised people living in the shadows of narrow-minded societal constraints.
Ethel Smyth (1858—1944):
Variations on Bonny Sweet Robin for flute, oboe and piano 'Ophelia's Song' (1927)
Thursday 23.7.2026
51. 21.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre — €28/21
Awakening
Roxanna Panufnik (1968—):
Cantator & Amanda for bassoon and string quartet (2011)
Olivier Messiaen (1908—1992):
Louange à l'Éternité de Jésus (Praise to the Eternity of Jesus) from Quartet for the End of Time (1940–41)
Friday 24.7.2026
10.00 Salakamari
The Heart of the Day - Composer Osmo Tapio Räihälä talks about the Festival's programme (this session will in English, admission free).
Friday 24.7.2026
11.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre/Pajakka Hall
Student Concert (admission free)
- Students of the music courses
Friday 24.7.2026
52. 11.00 Kuhmo Church — €28/21 *
Foot-tapping Friday
Erwín Schulhoff (1894—1942):
Allergo furioso from Concertino for flute, viola and double bass (1925)
Arthur Bliss (1891—1975):
Connelly's Jig from Oboe Quintet, F. 21 (1927)
Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840—1893):
Valse - Scherzo in C, Op. 34 (1877; arr. for violin and piano by composer)
Witold Lutosławski (1913—1994):
Dance Preludes for clarinet and piano (1954)
Friday 24.7.2026
53. 13.00 Tuupala Primary School — €12
Chamber music workshop
Johannes Brahms (1833—1897):
String Quintet No. 1 in F, Op. 88 (1882)
- Atte Kilpeläinen
- Students of the music courses
Sergey Prokofiev (1891—1953):
Quintet in G minor, Op. 39 for oboe, clarinet, violin, viola and double bass 'Trapèze' (1924)
- Zoran Marković
- Students of the music courses
Friday 24.7.2026
54. 15.00 Tuupala Primary School — €28/21
Hunting party
“This quartet is the development of a 'healthy' hunting theme in dotted rhythm (borrowed from Schumann’s Papillons) which culminates in the fragmentation and final skeletonization of an initially positive hunting figure.
Simultaneously, the situation of the four musicians changes: the bragging hunters are successively transformed into those pursued and hunted. The additional (fatal) change in perspective in which the three upper strings gang up on the cellist and pin the blame on him is an analogy of social behavioral patterns.
The consistently playful-overexcited inflection only barely masks the earnestness which has forced itself into this work."
Jörg Widmann
Jörg Widmann (1973—):
String Quartet No. 3 'Hunt' (2003)
Friday 24.7.2026
55. 18.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre — €33/25
Milestones: Lava-ammuntaa VIII - After Eight Comedy
Ulla Tapaninen
70 years on earth.
50 years on the stage.
30 years of After Eight Comedy.
And sharper than ever.
Ryhmäteatteri
At the After Eight Comedy Show, Kainuu’s very own diva Ulla Tapaninen returns to marvel at the ways of the world in her inimitable sharp-witted and sharp-tongued style.
Excerpts from the Work The Short-Tempered Clavier by musical satirist P. D. Q. Bach
Lava-ammuntaa VIII After Eight Comedy (2025, in Finnish)
Interval
Excerpts from the Work The Short-Tempered Clavier by musical satirist P. D. Q. Bach
Lava-ammuntaa VIII After Eight Comedy (2025, in Finnish)
Friday 24.7.2026
56. 18.00 Sotkamo Church — €28/21 **
Ristijärventie 1, 88600 Sotkamo (driving time from the centre of Kuhmo approx. 45 min)
There's a party in Kuhmo. Sotkamo, you're invited
Erkki Melartin (1875—1937):
Festive March from the Incidental Music Sleeping Beauty, Op. 22 for organ (1904)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770—1827):
Allegro from String Quartet No. 7 in F, Op. 59 No. 1 'Razumovsky' (1806)
Jean Sibelius (1865—1957):
En glad musikant (a Happy Musician), JS 70 for violin (1924–25)
Amy Beach (1867—1944):
Theme and Variations, Op. 80 for flute and string quartet (1916)
Edward Elgar (1857—1934):
Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 in D, Op. 39 No. 1 (1901, arr. for organ by Edwin Lemaire)
The concert is hosted by Minna Pensola.
THIS CONCERT IS COOPERATION WITH OSUUSKAUPPA MAAKUNTA AND THE MUNICIPALITY OF SOTKAMO.
Dinner will be available before and after the concert at Break Sokos Hotel Vuokatti Restaurants (Kidekuja 2). Information and table reservations: raflaamo.fi/fi/sotkamo
Friday 24.7.2026
57. 21.00 Chapel — €28/21
Kappelikuja 1 (approx. 1 km from the Kuhmo Arts Centre)
Birthday boys
Louis-Nicolas Clérambault (1676—1749):
Suite du Deuxième Ton: movements Plein Jeu and Récit de Nazard from Suite Livre d'orgue (1710)
Saturday 25.7.2026
10.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre/Cafeteria Juttua
The Heart of the Day - Composer Osmo Tapio Räihälä talks about the day's programme (this session will in Finnish, admission free).
Saturday 25.7.2026
58. 11.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre — €33/25
Banquet buffet: something sweet and a dessert wine
The etiquette on a bottle of Arietta wine (Hudson Vineyards, Napa Valley, wine maker John Kongsgaard) displays a couple of bars of the Arietta theme from the manuscript of Beethoven’s last piano sonata. When I was asked to compose a piece in honour of this fabulous wine, I naturally decided that this theme should have a key role. But whereas Beethoven produces a set of rigorous variations with a steadily increasing intensity curve, my Kongsgaard Variations are more like meditations, with no directional process.
Anders Hillborg
Anders Hillborg (1954—):
Kongsgaard Variations for string quartet (2006)
Jean Sibelius (1865—1957):
Mazurka, Op. 81 No. 1 for violin and piano (1915)
Jean Sibelius (1865—1957):
Rondino, Op. 81 No. 2 for violin and piano (1917)
Francis Poulenc (1899—1963):
Trio for oboe, bassoon and piano (1928 edited by Sandro Caldini)
Interval
Felix Mendelssohn (1809—1847):
String Octet in E flat, Op. 20 (1825)
Saturday 25.7.2026
59. 15.00 Tuupala Primary School — €28/21
One too many - dagen efter
Your pulse is racing, your head is throbbing. Salt, water, painkillers. A moment’s oblivion. Your body feels heavy, your forehead finally relaxes, your eyes stay open without squinting. Survival. Never again. What a pathetic promise.
Paul Hindemith (1895—1963):
Rasendes Zeitmass. Wild. Tonschönheit ist Nebensache from Sonata No. 2, Op. 25 No. 1 for viola (1922)
Alfred Schnittke (1934—1998):
Sonata No. 2 for violin and piano 'Quasi una Sonata' (1968)
Mikhail Glinka (1804—1857):
Trio pathétique in D minor for clarinet, bassoon and piano (1832)
Saturday 25.7.2026
60. 18.00 Kuhmo Arts Centre — €33/25
Happy birthday! Meta4 at 25
The Meta4 String Quartet invites our esteemed guests to join us on a journey through the history of the string quartet from its birth in the courts of the 18th century to the hustle and bustle of modern life. Guiding us on this journey is the composer Osmo Tapio Räihälä, whose book Why is New Music so Difficult was awarded the Finlandia Prize for Non-Fiction in 2021.
Luigi Boccherini (1743—1805):
Minuetto from String Quintet in E, Op. 11 No. 5 (G. 275) (1771)
Joseph Haydn (1732—1809):
Poco Adagio - Cantabile from String Quartet in C, Op. 76 No. 3 'Emperor' (1797)
W. A. Mozart (1756—1791):
Molto allegro from String Quartet in G, K. 387 (1782)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770—1827):
Grave ma non troppo - Allegro from String Quartet No. 16 in F, Op. 135 (1826)
Fanny Mendelssohn (1805—1847):
Adagio ma non troppo from String Quartet in E flat (1834)
Robert Schumann (1810—1856):
Assai agitato from String Quartet No. 3 in A, Op. 41 No. 3 (1842)
Interval
Maurice Ravel (1875—1937):
Allegro moderato from String Quartet in F (1902–03)
Leoš Janáček (1854—1928):
Andante - Con moto - Allegro from String Quartet No. 2 'Intimate Letters' (1928)
Dmitry Shostakovich (1906—1975):
Allegro non troppo from String Quartet No. 3 in F, Op. 73 (1946)
Kaija Saariaho (1952—2023):
Fleurs de neige from Neiges (1998, arr. for string quartet by composer 2013)
The programme is published in January 2026. The festival reserves the right to modify the program and line-up. Programme notes by Minna Pensola and Antti Tikkanen unless otherwise stated. English translations by David Hackston.