Detailed information about the program:

The Great Symphony

Turku Philharmonic Orchestra will be opening the festival on Saturday, August 8th with the young radiant Pietari Inkinen as conductor. At the opening concert the orchestra performs Mahler’s symphony no. 1 “Titan”, Bach’s beloved concerto for two violins and Richard Strauss’s “Metamorphoses”. A week later, on Saturday August 15th, Helsinki City Orchestra will be offering symphonic luxury with conductor Okko Kamu. The program consists of Sibelius’s Finlandia, Richard Strauss’s fantastic Alpine Symphony and Shostakovich’s piano concerto no. 1 with Valeria Resjan as soloist.

In honour of the anniversary, the grand Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra with conductor Valery Gergijev will visit Turku. The Russian virtuosity can be admired at two concerts, on August 11thth, where the orchestra with its great soloists will be performing gems of Finnish and Russian symphony and opera. and 12

Music on stage

On August 8th, the picturesque old factory building Manilla will be hosting the première of  “Shostakovitsh. Arvoitus”, a new production in collaboration with The AB Company and Kolmas Tila – Tredje Rummet ry. The play, which describes Shostakovich’s life with the means of music, dance and theatre, is produced by the same group that created the previous piece “Mozart Journey to Prague” which fascinated the audience the two previous summers. “Shostakovitsh. Arvoitus” will be performed seven times altogether.

Finnish opera history is in the making when Åbo Svenska Teater, the oldest theatre building in Finland, hosts a new opera “Döbeln 1809” on Sunday August 16th. The opera, produced by West Coast Kokkola Opera, describes the last phases of the Finnish War (1808-1809). The music is composed by Sebastian Fagerlund and led by renowned conductor Sakari Oramo. The libretto, by Jusa Peltoniemi, is multilingual. Among the performers are Anu Komsi, Christian Juslin, Sören Lillkung and Robert McLoud.

Juniorum – programs for the whole family

The Juniorum series is designed for families and children. Näppärit, folk musicians from Kaustinen, are joined by musicians from Sweden, the Åland Islands and Turku, to create a vibrant outdoor concert on August 14th. The concert is a part of a tour that visits Finland and Sweden in honour of the memorable year 1809, when Finland was separated from Sweden.

On Saturday August 15th there will be two performances of a music story, composed by Pauliina Isomäki to poems of Kirsi Kunnas, about the Bustling Baby. In the performance the audience follows the Baby on thrilling fantasy trips to exiting places in the world.

Superior chamber music

The festival offers chamber music concerts with traditional pieces and modern pieces to suite every taste. On Monday, August 10th a concert featuring the passionate Finnish pianist-composer Olli Mustonen and the Russian master Rodion Shchedrin takes place in the Sigyn Hall. The two virtuoso musicians play their own music together with a selected group of friends. On Wednesday, August 12th Meta4, one of Finland’s most celebrated string quartets will be interpreting late Beethoven in the Academy Hall. On the Night of Arts, Thursday August 13th, mezzo-soprano Monica Groop and pianist Gustav Djupsjöbacka promises to fascinate audiences with music of Brahms and Ravel in Sigyn Hall. The renowned cembalist Lars Ulrik Mortensen gives a recital in the Academy Hall on Friday. On Sunday afternoon there will be a remarkable concert in the Arts Chapel with soprano Piia Komsi & Zagros. The musicians will perform three premieres – new works by Einojuhani Rautavaara, Aija Puurtinen and Tapio Tuomela.

From Tuesday to Sunday the audience can enjoy the peace of the Cathedral and the delight of Bach’s violin music when the popular series “Bach in the afternoon” continues with a brief musical moment each afternoon. The Cathedral also hosts other concerts filled with emotion: the traditional “Bach in candle light” offers flute and harpsichord music, the Cathedral Evening concert on Tuesday presents Russian organist Katya Melnikova and on Sunday the festival is celebrated with an Anniversary Mass where several artists will perform.

Small treats of highest quality

The festival offers both large and small treats during the festival week. The Master Class students will give lunch concerts in the Art Museum from Tuesday to Friday, on Monday and Tuesday music will be taken to nursing homes in the “Seniorum” series, at the Night of the Arts time travel to medieval times is enabled by Hortus Musicus in the castle, and the traditional concert at VPK gathers the audience for a cheerful evening on Friday. From Wednesday to Saturday the day can be concluded at “detention” in restaurant Koulu (“School”) with easy jamming and a relaxed atmosphere. Meta4 and Andres Mustonen offer cross-over performances to compliment their classical once and on Friday and Saturday brilliant Finnish jazz is heard with the skilful Jaska Lukkarinen Trio and the distinguished Teemu Viinikainen and Niklas Winter Duo.

Tickets can be purchased at Lippupalvelu. For more information about the program, see www.tmj.fi or contact the festival office, tel. +358-2-2620814, e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .