Finnish Baroque Orchestra briefly

FINNISH BAROQUE ORCHESTRA

Finnish Baroque Orchestra was founded by harpsichordist Anssi Mattila in 1989. For twenty years it was called The Sixth Floor Orchestra. Finnish Baroque Orchestra consists of musicians well versed in the performance practice of early music and the instruments for which each type of music was written. In addition to all the major Finnish music festivals the orchestra has appeared in many parts of Europe.

In 2001 the Orchestra released two discs which won great critical acclaim both in Finland and abroad. One of them, The Classical Age in Finland (Ondine), contains all the 18th century Finnish orchestral music that has been preserved, and it was awarded an honorary mention in the 2001 Record of the Year poll by the music editors of the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) and the Janne Prize of the Finnish National Group of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). The other disc, on the Alba label, was devoted to concertos by Antonio Vivaldi, a source which never runs dry. A recording of Mozart’s Gran Partita was released in 2005.

The former Artistic Director of the Orchestra, Tuomas Hannikainen planned the concert series Beethoven from the roots: The orchestra performed all the Beethoven symphonies as well as some lesser-known works from the period with great success. Three concerts with drama performances brought additional colour to the 2009 season.

In addition the orchestra has given several baroque concerts and collaborated with choirs. The chamber music series is designed by violinist Antti Tikkanen.

At the moment, among many other plans for 2010 the orchestra is working intensively with Georg Kallweit, who directs the orchestra from the position of concert-master.

Ever since his studies at the Academy of Music Hanns Eisler in Berlin from 1983 to 1988, and parallel to his following engagements with the Rundfunk- Sinfonie- Orchester Berlin, Georg Kallweit has been intensely interested in the stylistic questions regarding baroque and early classical chamber music as well as theory and performance practice on historical instruments. As a permanent member of the Berliner Barock Compagney and the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, as well as a regular guest with other ensembles, the East German-born violinist has become one of the most demanded specialists in his field, especially regarding solo violin repertoire. His frequent international concert appearances and numerous recordings for radio broadcast companies and CD labels, as well as his position as a violin teacher at the School of Music and Theatre in Leipzig also attest to Georg Kallweit’s abilities.

Viimeksi päivitetty 15.03.2010 18:39