Han Som Du Älskar Finns Inte Mer

Performed at Majaoja-trusts 10 year anniversary on the 30.10.2010. Anna Ranki soprano, Topi Lehtomäki bariton, Ari Angervo conductor.


The Land which Is Not

I yearn to the Land which Is Not
Because all that Is I am tired of desiring
The Moon tells me in silver Runes
About the Land which Is Not

The Land where all our Desires are so wonderfully fulfilled
The Land where all our strings are cut off
The Land where we cool our ragged Forehead
In the dew of the Moon

My life was a hot illusion
But one thing I have found
And one thing I really have won
The Way to the Land which Is Not

In the Land which Is Not
My beloved one walks with a sparkling crown
Who is my beloved one?
The night is dark
And the stars are trembling as an answer
Who is my beloved one?
What is his name?
The skies are evolving ever higher
And a human child is drowning 
In endless mists
And doesn’t know any answer

But a Human Child is nothing else than Certainty
And it stretches up it’s Hands
Higher than all Skies
And there comes an Answer:
I am the one You Love
And always will Love.


Poem: Edit Södergran
Free English translation: Cecilia Damström


Landet Som Icke Är

Die Berge, for flute and live electronics, is in this recording performed by Jacintha Damström.

This piece was composed for Tampere Biennale 2010. It was first performed by Anu Miikkulainen at Tampere Biennale in April 2010.

Die Berge

Cecilia Damström: Nixus for full orchestra
Recorded by the Karelia  Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Anatoly Rybalko
Studio director Pavel Timofeev
Sound engineer Artem Yakovlev

All rights reserved, for promotional use only.

Nixus

Nixus - For Large Orchestra

Der Wald for flute and electronics. Written in 2011 (in Valencia, Spain). 

First performed by Jacintha Damström (flute) and Cecilia Damström (electronics) on the 6th of September 2013 at Lars Holmströms exhibition in Gallery Saskia, Tampere Finland.

Der Wald

He wants to scream.
He screams.
Does he?
He helps me.
He is kind.
Is he?
Sometimes.
But he is clever.
Always.
A step ahead.
Where you didn’t expect.
Is he at all?
Or is it just me?

Loco Op.17 for solo viola was composed for the Finnish National Viola Competition 2012 held in Tampere. Loco was one of seven composition of which one had to be performed by each participant. Four participants performed the piece during the competition; Tina Brännkärr, Hanna Pakkala, Mari Viluksela and Iiris Rannikko. This recording is by Tina Bränkärr, who won the competition. It is recorded on the 20th of November 2012 in Pyynikkisali, Tampere.

Loco Op.17

Cecilia Damström: Dagbok Op.21 orchestrated version
1. Stanna
2. Int' ett ord
3. Kallare
4. Stigar
5. Jag vill

Jacintha Damström soprano, Tuomas Turriago conductor 
Dagbok-orchestra:
Violin I: Tatuarttu Ruponen, Roope Jokinen, Heidi-Annina Nikkilä, Hilkka Miettunen
Violin II: Elias Koivisto, Matilda Seppälä, Gretel Raudasoja, Emma Kuosmanen
Viola: Elisa Kallasjoki, Kimmo Kivivuori, Eija Laru
Cello: Taina Raittila, Peter Gospodinov
Contrabas: Akseli Porkkala, Roope Mäenpää
Piccolo: Jenni Halonen
Flute: Anu Miikkulainen
Oboe: Heikki Pöyhönen
Clarinet: Andreas Heino
Bassoon: Niilo Tarnanen
French horn: Simiam Ghan

Dagbok orchestra version Op.21

Live recording of Science Frictions 16.6.2023

Text: Cia Rinne
Music: Cecilia Damström

Countertenor: David Hackston
Choir: The Academic Choral Society (Akateeminen laulu, AL)
Orchestra: University Symphony Orchestra (Ylioppilaskunnan Soittajat, YS)
Conducted by: Elisar Riddelin

Science Frictions

Cecilia Damström: Sydänlaulu Op.32 for solo violin.
Premiered by Elisar Riddelin on the 20.08.2014 at the TampeRinging 2014 festival in Tampere. Music technician of the recording Tero Koski.

Sydänlaulu

The choral suite "Min Gud" composed to psalm 22, composed by Cecilia Damström
Performed by the chamber choir Näsin Ääni on the 14th of May 2014 at Pyynikkisali, Tampere. Conducted by Markus Yli-Jokipii and recorded by Petrus Tuisku.

Min Gud - I. Min Gud

Via Crucis

Infirmus for string orchestra. 
Premiered 22.8.2015 in Aleksatnerin kirkko, Tampere
by the Caprico Orchestra
Conducted by Elisar Riddelin
Orchestra manager Matilda Seppälä
Concert master Amelie Wünsche
Recorded by Tero Koski

This piece is dedicated to every person around the world suffering from incurable diseases and what you would call “rare diseases” or non-acknowledged diseases such as for instance chronicle Lyme.

Infirmus

Eleven miniatures for piano solo about my classmates in high school. The last miniature (The Stressed Artist) is a self portrait of me at the age of 17. Have fun imagining all the characters!

The recording is a live performance by the composer Cecilia Damström at a Korvat Auki (Open Ears)Concert in May 2015.

Characters

Angor performed by EMO ensemble and conducted by Pasi Hyökki at Vocal Espoo 5.6.2016. Angor won the first prize at the Vocal Espoo 2016 choral composition competition.

Angor

Music by Cecilia Damström
Gävle Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Andreas Hanson
Recorded: Live performance 2.6.2018 at The Royal Collage of Music in Stockholm

Time is ticking while over 65 million refugees are knocking at the door of Europe in seek of help and hope for a better life. Refugees who have lost everything, who have walked miles, who have paid everything they own for saving their own and their families’ lives. The European Union has had a hard time choosing sides. And while it is tightening the regulations for refugees, the pressured knocking at our door is growing ever stronger. A both economic and humanitarian catastrophe is starting to show its full extent.

Tundo is the latin word for “Knock” and is my description of the catastrophe of our time. I have tried to put in to music the knocking, the wars, the beautiful landscapes refugees have walked by, the rain that has poured over them, the sea and the dangerous boat ride, the screams for help, the arguing among the European Union’s elite bureaucrats, the shouts of “don’t let them in”, the grief and pain due to loss of loved ones, the sympathy we Westerners have but which only lasts as long as the refugees don't affect our own lives in any way. All of this exists at the same time simultaneously, all of this is a part of our time, all of this will be part of our history and a burden on our conscience.

Events like one of the world’s greatest nations choosing a racist, misogynistic man for president, have shattered me and put all my idealism into question. I’m not a politician, I’m not rich nor influential, but through my music I at least try to do my part for making the world a little better place to live in. By touching other people’s hearts and telling the story of those who don’t have a voice of their own in society - the refugees.

Tundo!

Aino - IV. Rautaa (Iron)

Cecilia Damström - Lucrum Op.57
Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Michael Bartosch

Lucrum

Brahe Djäknar conducted by Ulf Långbacka performing my piece "Sailing to Windward" (2016) composed to a poem by Michael Binnie.

Sailing to Windward

Framtidens skugga composed to poems by Edith Södergran. Written for and premiered by Monica Groop mezzo soprano and Juhani Lagerspetz piano at Pellinge Music Festival August 9th 2020.

Framtidens skugga

Pianist Reetamaria Rajala performing my piano solo piece "Piano Delirium" 2019.

Visit Rajala's own soundcloud on https://soundcloud.com/reetamaria-rajala and her website on https://www.reetarajala.com/

Piano Delirium

Helene - Nuances from the Life of Helene Schjerfbeck Op.74
I. Balskorna
II. Byktork
III. Sjelvporträtt
IV. Konvalecenten

Heli Haapala flute, Kristiina Salmi oboe, Pekka Niskanen clarinet, Jaakko Luoma bassoon and Tiina Karakorpi piano. Live recording from the premiere 7th of August 2020 at Musequal Festival in Janakkala Church, Finland

Helene - Nuances from the Life of Helene Schjerfbeck

Credo performed by Key Ensemble at VocalEspoo 2014. Second prize winner in the category mixed choir.

Cecilia Damström's Album

Credo

Linda Suolahti and Anna Husgafvel violin, Pitsku vla, Markus Hohti cello, Tiina Karakorpi piano. Temppeliaukion kirkko 24.10.2019

Minna - Pictures from the Life of Minna Canth

The ability to think and feel is what makes us humans differ from other species on earth. This is also what Cecilia Damström (b.1988) tries to achieve with her compositions; to make people think and feel.

Born into a multicultural family in Helsinki, languages and the possibility of combining languages, have always appealed to her while composing. With a background as a classical pianist and with theatre as an interest, also harmony, direction, a sense of drama, and expressivity are always present in her music.

Since graduating in 2014 she has constantly been working on commissions for various ensembles and festivals. Her compositions have received several national and international composition prizes 2009-2018. Her fairytale opera “Dumma Kungen” won the award for  “Children opera of the year” in 2018. Her works for orchestra have been performed by Jyväskylä Sinfonia (2016 & 2018), Gävle Symphony Orchestra (2018), Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra (2018) and Avanti! (2011) as well as at festivals such as Young Nordic Music Days in Aarhus (2016) and Tampering (2014, 2015 and 2017). Since 2019 she is signed with one of the biggest music publishers in the Nordic countries, Gehrmans Musikförlag.

Damström’s broad catalogue of compositions includes chamber music, choral works, orchestral works as well as two chamber operas. Her music has been performed in Canada, Germany, England, The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland and the Czech Republic. Her music is regularly performed in Finland at different concerts as well as at festivals such as Tampere Biennale (2010, 2012 and 2014), RUSK Chamber Music Festival (composer in residence 2017), Helsinki Winds (2017), Summer Sounds in Sysmä (2015), Summer Sounds in Porvoo (2011), Tampering Festival (2014, 2015 and 2017), VocalEspoo (2014 and 2016) and also at the Kokonainen Festival, where she is composer in residence (2016-2019). Her music has been radio broadcast in Sweden and Germany and is regularly broadcast in Finland.

This season’s 2023-2024 highlights include the world premiere of Extinctions commissioned by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the world premiere of the accordion concerto Permafrost with soloist Sonja Vertainen and the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra , as well as ten performances in Germany of her string quartet Letters by the Elaia Quartet.

Damström studied composition with Doctor Hannu Pohjannoro at Tampere University of Applied Sciences and graduated in 2014. Currently she is finishing her master studies in composition at Malmö Academy of Music for Professor Luca Francesconi. She has also gathered much inspiration by travelling to master classes around Europe.

Damström is working full time with commissions for musicians, ensembles and orchestras. The Finnish Cultural Foundation, The Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland and Alfred Kordelin Foundation have supported her artistic work.

ceciliadamstrom

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