A series of concerts and lectures organised by the University of Helsinki Music Society (HYMS)

HYMS was founded in 1989 to promote all forms of musical culture at Helsinki University, including orchestral, choral and chamber music. Each year, HYMS awards a prize named after the ”father of Finnish music” and Helsinki University music lecturer, Fredrik Pacius.

HYMS also seeks to organise musical events in the capital to showcase music that would otherwise go unperformed. Past concert and lecture series include Music – national characteristics, The secrets of instruments, Japanese music week and the Romantic generation. Guests have included notable cultural figures from Finland and further afield.

The HYMS’ 2012 spring programme will feature the Soivat kaupungit – Tönende Städte, Cités sonnantes, Città suonante, Sounding Cities series, exploring Vienna, Paris, Milan, Alger – ja finally concluding with Helsinki.

Serving as the venue for the majority of the series is the university’s Great Hall, one of the city’s most historic concert halls. It will also serve as the venue for a 120th anniversary performance, to the day, of Sibelius’ opera, Kullervo.

Programme:

20 February  18.00 Wien I – Lied concert, Monica Groop, University Great Hall. Free entrance.

28 February 18.00 Wien II – ”Fritz Kreisler and Vienna”, Jani Lehtonen, violin; Vienna – a city of music, Professor Hartmut Krones, Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst, Vienna; Fabianinkatu 26, Language Centre. Free entrance.

13 March 18.00 Milano – Giovanni Bottesini and other Italians, soloist double bass artist Giuseppe Ettorre, La Scala, Milan, Soidaan! chamber orchestra, host: Grisell McDonell, University Great Hall. Free entrance.

CANCELLED 27 March 18.00 New York – Charles Rosen, piano, Elliott Carter, Beethoven, Brahms, University Great hall. Free entrance.

2 April 18.00  Alger – a lecture, Professor Jean-Marie Jacono, Aix en Provence, violin solo Elias Lassfolk, Fabianinkatu 26, language Centre. Free entrance.

16 April 18.00 Paris – music from the world of Marcel Proust, HYMS Quartet, Reynaldo Hahn and Ernst  Chausson, Fabianinkatu26, Language Centre. Free entrance.

28 April 17.00 Helsinki – Sibelius’ Kullervo 120 years, YS, Mikk Murdvee, University Great Hall. Tickets 28e/9e.

7 May 18.00 The wandering composers, Eila Tarasti, piano: Mozart, Liszt, Leiviskä, Hirn, Rautavaara, University Great Hall. Free entrance.

Host: 20 February, 16 April and 7 May, Eero Tarasti

University Great Hall (Aleksanterinkatu) and Language Centre (Fabianinkatu 26)

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