Oulu Music Festival 35th Anniversary Concert 

Welcome to the celebration of the 35th anniversary of the Oulu Music Festival!

The Oulu Music Festival has been held since 1991, following in the footsteps of the Madetoja Week event from the 1980s. For 35 years, the festival has fostered deep emotions, musical collaboration, and a rich musical heritage. This evening’s program presents an impressive concert combining classical music, which has been at the heart of the festival since its early days, with the rhythm music that was later introduced.

The concert opens with Kullervo, a symphonic poem by Leevi Madetoja, one of the most significant composers of Finnish Romanticism. This will be followed by some of Jean Sibelius’ most beloved songs, arranged by the late Jaakko Kuusisto, former artistic director of the Oulu Music Festival. The soloist for the songs is soprano Heta Sammalisto.

After intermission, pianist Anton Mejias will then perform as a soloist in Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major. The piece Guezo, composed by current artistic director and pianist Kari Ikonen, brings West African rhythms to the evening and guides us toward the future. The final pieces of the evening will feature Ikonen alongside Jukka Perko, saxophonist and another former artistic director of the festival.

The evening is anchored by the wonderful Oulu Symphony Orchestra, a longstanding partner of the Oulu Music Festival, with collaboration dating back to the days of Madetoja Week.

The festivities begin at 5:45 PM in Restaurant Preludi, with interviews of both current and former artistic directors, hosted by Kimmo Pihlajamaa and Maria Mannermaa. Admission to this pre-concert event is free.

PROGRAM

Leevi Madetoja: Kullervo, Op.15

Jean Sibelius:
Men min fågel märks dock icke, op. 36 nro 2
Svarta rosor, op. 36 nro 1
Sippan, op. 88 nro 4
Törnet, op. 88 nro 5
Flickan kom ifrån sin älsklings möte, op. 37 nro 5
Var det en dröm, op. 37 nro 4
Heta Sammalisto, sopraano

-Intermission-

Maurice Ravel: Piano Concerto in G major
Anton Mejias, piano

Kari Ikonen: Guezo
Kari Ikonen, piano
Jukka Perko, saxophone

Anna-Mari Kähärä: Credo
Kari Ikonen, piano
Jukka Perko, saxophone

Performers:

Oulu Sinfonia 
Anna-Maria Helsing, conductor
Heta Sammalisto, soprano
Anton Mejias, piano
Kari Ikonen, piano
Jukka Perko, saxophone

Duration approx. 2 h (incl. Intermission)

You can pre-order the intermission refreshments from restaurant Preludi´s online store: https://juhula.fi/product-category/preludin-valiaikatarjoilut/

The concert is part of the 2025 Oulu Music Festival.

Tickets

40 € Regular / 30 € Pensioner / 20 € Discount groups

Available through Ticketmaster Finland nationwide. Prices include handling fees. Tickets without handling fees are available from the Valve ticket office. A service fee of €3 per order will be charged for purchases from the Ticketmaster ticket shop, or €1.50 per order when purchasing from the Ticketmaster online store.

The ticket price includes the cloakroom fee.

A limited number of Kaikukortti-tickets are available.

Ticket Sales Locations

Ticketmaster Finland nationwide.
Madetoja Hall ticket shop, Leevi Madetojan katu 1-3.
Cultural Centre Valve ticket office, Hallituskatu 7.
At the door one hour before the concert.

Accessibility

The facilities on the 1st floor of the Music Center are accessible. There are accessible pathways to the lobby areas, halls, and restaurant. An accessible restroom for people with mobility impairments is available in the lobby of Madetoja Hall, on the left side of the cloakroom area. For more information, visit Oulu Music Centre website at www.oulunmusiikkikeskus.fi.

The organizer reserves the right to make changes.

Photo: Maarit Kytöharju.