Kalevi Aho studied composition at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki with Einojuhani Rautavaara and later in Berlin with Boris Blacher.
Performer Biography
Ari-Pekka Mäenpää, the timpanist, has been a member of the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra since 2001, first as principal percussionist and then as first timpanist.
Composer Biography
Kalevi Aho, one of Finland's leading contemporary composers, began studying violin and composing at age ten in his hometown of Forssa.
Performer Biography
Sonja Fräki, the Finnish pianist on this album, specializes in Kalevi Aho's piano music, which was the subject of her doctoral studies.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Kalevi Aho's extensive output includes five operas, seventeen symphonies, and twenty-eight concertos, focusing on large-scale orchestral, chamber, and vocal works.
Recording & Production
This Hybrid SACD recording was made in January 2017 at the Turku Concert Hall, the first purpose-built concert hall in Finland.
Historical Context
The Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1790, is the oldest orchestra in Finland and one of the oldest in the world.
