The Helsinki Strings
TOUR OF HUNGARY 2014
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TOUR OF HUNGARY 2014
YOUNG CULTURAL AMBASSADORS OF FINLAND
THE HELSINKI STRINGS HELSINGIN JUNIORIJOUSET TOUR OF HUNGARY 2014 Concerts: 27th July, 8:00 pm, Kecskemét, Big Catholic Church THE 25TH INTERNATIONAL COLOURSTRINGS SYMPOSIUM
28th July, 7:00 pm, Balatonfüred, Calvinist Church 30th July, 8:00 pm, Veszprém, Hangvilla Concert Hall 2nd August, 7:30 pm, Budapest Music Center BMC
Helsingin Juniorijouset The Helsinki Strings
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Ahti Sonninen Old men’s Hymn from Keitele (1914-1984) (Based on a traditional Finnish tune) Carl Nielsen Little Suite (1865-1931) Präludium Intermezzo Finale Frank Bridge Three Idylls (1879-1941) Adagio molto espressivo Allegretto poco lento Allegro con moto Benjamin Britten Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge (1913-1976) Introduction and Theme Adagio March Romance Aria Italiana Wiener Walz Moto Perpetuo Funeral March Chant Fugue and Finale Béla Bartók Ostinato, from the Mikrokosmos (1881-1945) (Arranged for strings by Ahti Sonninen)
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CONCERT REPERTOIRE
CONCERT REPERTOIRE
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THE HELSINKI STRINGS
The Helsinki Strings (Helsingin Juniorijouset) is a world-renowned string orchestra consisting of students from the East Helsinki Music Institute and the Sibelius Academy. Ages of the members vary between ten and twenty. The orchestra was founded in 1972 by the internationally acclaimed music pedagogues, Csaba and Géza Szilvay, who both retired in 2010. At present, the conductor of the orchestra is Mr Jukka Rantamäki. The Helsinki Strings have released forty internationally acclaimed albums, i.a. for the labels Finlandia Records and Warner Classics. The orchestra has appeared in more than seventy television programs, of which the popular series ”Minifiddlers in Musicland” began a new era in music education in Finland. A substantial number of today’s active professional Finnish musicians have played as members of The Helsinki Strings over the years, and several have achieved international fame. Besides Finland, the orchestra has given concerts in Austria, Belgium, Canada, The People’s Republic of China, The Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, The Faroe Islands, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Macau, The Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, The United Kingdom and The United States. The musical education of the members of The Helsinki Strings is based on the Colourstrings method, developed in the East Helsinki Music Institute by Géza and Csaba Szilvay and their colleagues. Throughout their existence, the Helsinki Strings have demonstrated how a profound music education and high-level artistry can be combined. Through concert tours and demonstrations the orchestra has made Finland, Finnish music and string pedagogy known all over the world. The Helsinki Strings wish to thank the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, Finnish foundations, companies, other organizations and private persons for their continuous support. The Ministry of Education and Culture has appointed the Helsinki Strings as Young Cultural Ambassadors of Finland. Conductor of The Helsinki Strings Jukka Rantamäki began his violin studies under Géza Szilvay’s tuition and continued his studies with Jouko Ignatius, Kaija Saarikettu and Alexander Vinnitsky at the Sibelius Academy. In his childhood, Rantamäki was the leader of the Helsinki Junior Strings (now called The Helsinki Strings) and he has been the second leader of the Tapiola Sinfonietta (Espoo, Finland) since the orchestra was founded in 1987. He also plays regularly in the Avanti! Chamber Orchestra.
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A Helsinki Stringsnek 40 nemzetközileg elismert albuma jelent meg többek között a Finlandia Records és a Warner Classics kiadásában. A zenekar több mint 70 televízióprogramban lépett fel, melyek között szerepel a népszerü „Minifiddlers in Musicland” (Kishegedüsök Zeneországban) címü sorozat, amely a finnországi zeneoktatásban egy új korszakot nyitott meg. A ma is aktív hivatásos finn zenészek egész sora játszott egykoron a Helsinki Strings-ben és közülük többen nemzetközi karriert futottak be. A zenekar Finnországon kívül az alábbi országokban lépett fel: Ausztria, Belgium, Kanada, Kína, Cseh köztársaság, Dánia, Észtország, Feröer szigetek, Franciaország, Németország, Hong Kong, Magyarország, Írország, Olaszország, Japán, Dél-Korea, Lettország, Makaó, Hollandia, Norvégia, Oroszország, Svédország, Svájc, Taiwan, Egyesült Királyság és az Amerikai Egyesült Államok.
A HELSINKI STRINGS
A Helsinki Strings (finn nevén Helsingin Juniorijouset) világhírü vonós zenekar, amelynek tagjai a Kelet Helszinki Konzervatórium és a Sibelius-akadémia tanulói. A tagok életkora tíz és húsz év között van. A zenekart 1972-ben alapította a két nemzetközileg is elismert zenepedagógus, Szilvay Géza és Szilvay Csaba, akik 2010-ig vezették a zenekart, majd visszavonultak. Jelenleg a zenekar vezetöje Jukka Rantamäki.
A zenekar tagjainak oktatása a Szilvay Csaba és Szilvay Géza valamint a Kelet Helszinki Konzervatórium tanárai által kidolgozott Colourstrings módszer alapján történik. A zenekar fennállása óta jó példája annak, hogyan lehet a kifinomult zenei oktatást magasszintü müvészettel egyesíteni. A zenekar fellépéseivel, koncert körútjaival világszerte ismertté tette Finnországot és a finn zenei és vonószenei pedagógiát. A finn Oktatásügyi és Kulturális Minisztérium Finnország Ifjú Kulturális Nagyköveteinek nevezte ki a Helsinki Strings zenekar tagjait. A zenekar köszönetét fejezi ki a Minisztériumnak, finn alapítványoknak, vállalatoknak, egyéb szervezeteknek és magánszemélyeknek folyamatos támogatásukért. A zenekar karmestere Jukka Rantamäki Szilvay Géza tanítványaként kezdte meg hegedü tanulmányait, majd Jouko Ignatius, Kaija Saarikettu és Alexander Vinnitsky vezetésével folytatta a Sibelius Akadémián. Gyermekkorában az akkor Helsinki Junior Strings nevet viselö Helsinki Strings koncertmestere volt, majd az espoo-i Tapiola Sinfonetta 1987-es megalakulása óta annak másod- koncertmestere. Rendszeresen fellép az Avanti! Kamarazenekar tagjaként.
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COMPOSERS
Sonninen, Ahti (1914-1984): Keiteleen ukkojen virsi The composer Ahti Sonninen was the first principal of the East Helsinki Music Institute, the home of the Helsinki Strings. This hymn is the most loved one among his many compositions and arrangements for the Helsinki Strings. ’Keitele’ is a lake in central Finland, were Sonninen was born.
Bridge, Frank (1879-1941): 3 Idylls This English violist, conductor and composer is mostly remembered as the teacher of the world-famous Benjamin Britten. The ’3 Idylls’ were composed in 1906 as a gift to a very special lady violinist, who later became Bridge’s wife. These three short movements follow the conventional fast-slow-fast form, and the theme of the second Idyll is the one Britten used to pay homage to his teacher.
Britten, Benjamin (1913-1976): Variations on a theme of Frank Bridge In 1937 Britten was asked to compose a new work to the Salzburg Festival. He wrote a set of variations on a theme of his teacher Frank Bridge, from the Idyll nr 2. Each variation represents a specific quality in Bridge’s personality: Adagio/integrity, March/energy, Romance/charm, Aria Italiana/humour, Bourrée/tradition, Wiener Walzer/enthusiasm, Moto perpetuo/vitality, Funeral March/sympathy, Chant/reverence, Fugue/skill.
Bartók, Béla (1881-1945): Ostinato Between the years 1926-1939 Bartók composed Mikrokosmos, 153 short pieces for piano – from easy beginner études to concert pieces for professionals. Ahti Sonninen arranged Mikrokosmos for the Helsinki Strings 35 years ago and Ostinato (146/153) is one of the most virtuosic movements in it. Today we present Ostinato as a bridge between past and present, as well as a bridge between Hungarian and Finnish music.
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Greetings from the conductor:
THE ORCHESTRA
I started playing the violin more than 40 years ago with Géza Szilvay and his brother Csaba Szilvay as my teachers. From the very beginning it was clear that it wasn’t only about the violin (or the cello): our group of young violinists quickly became an ensemble and new sections were added every year to form the ultimate instrument – the orchestra, the Helsinki Strings. Géza and Csaba had promised us a tour to Hungary, and 1974 it became true. Finnish-Hungarian folk songs and children’s songs had been prepared throughout the winter, ”Egy, kettõ, három” and other useful phrases had been practised, and I was very enthusiastic to see Hungary for the first time in my life. I was VERY much looking forward to travel with my orchestra. Unfortunately I got sick only two days before the tour and it wasn’t just a flu, it was the mumps and I couldn’t go. What a disappointment! Later I got to visit Hungary many times with the Helsinki Strings and other orchestras, but I still feel sorry I missed that first tour. After some decades as a concert master in professional orchestras I am now proud to be able to work with the Helsinki Strings again. I am particularly interested to make a tour to Hungary with this magnificent orchestra full of young, enthusiastic string players – and the mumps will certainly not bother me any more... Jukka Rantamäki
The Orchestra 1st violin Minttu Backman, Kristina Niiranen, Emmi Peltola, Siri Piippo-Pinho, Abel Puustinen, Aino Szalai, Kasmir Uusitupa, Anna-Maria Viksten (Principal) 2nd violin Alma Hadzajlic, Sofia Hiltunen, Aino Hyvönen (section leader), Katri Karjalainen, Jussi Launonen, Tuuli Raitio, Ruut Visti Viola Aida Hadzajlic, Riittaliisa Hakulinen, Axel Liljeblad (section leader), Saima Visti, Elsa Voima Violoncello Otso Haavisto, Elli Heinilä (section leader), Eero Kolkka, Anna Westerlund Double bass Aapo Kyyhkynen (section leader), Helka Seppälä Coaches Lauri Untamala (1st violin), Yvonne Frye (2nd violin), Vuokko Juutilainen (Viola), Csilla Szilvay (Violoncello)
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ThAnks The Helsinki Strings gratefully acknowledge the support of the following institutions for this tour: International Kodály Institute • Big Catholic Church of Kecskemét Calvinist Church of Balatonfüred • Hungarian Finnish Society of Veszprém Hangvilla Concert House • Török Villa Budapest Music Center • Science and Culture Institute of Finland Finnagora Young Culture Foundation • East Helsinki Music Institute Parents and Sponsors
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