The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, cond. Santtu-Matias Rouvali


Max Savikangas: Whisked Whistle for sypmhony orchestra (2011)

The seeds of my compositions often emerge as a result of improvisation and tentavive experiment: I enjoy improvising on the viola and savouring all kinds of sound events. As a rule, some of the spontaneous ideas and sounds thus found, live on in my mind and begin to lead a life of their own, ending up as the points of departure for written-out compositions.

It is the strings that carry along my ten-minute orchestral piece Whisked Whistle (2011), commissioned ny the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. My instructions for the extended playing technique that lent the work its title read as follows: ‘To be palyed sul pont./quasi flag. Quick, whisking and exaggerated arm vibrato in which the fingering finger slides up and down along the string. The aim is to produce a wailing, pungent and whisking sound, slightly reminiscent of the feedback of an electric quitar’. Other extended string techniques and sounds that feature in the work are sul tasto pan, circular bowing, crackle, whistle staccato, rumble and bursting.

The variation of and tension between contrasting timbres propels the piece along, on equal terms with the six-part harmony developed by me and other more traditional devices (timbre should here be understood broadly as an umbrella term for all the components of the sound event). The hoots, wails, hisses, gushes, whispers, crackles and buzzes heard in the piece are thus by no means effects or seasoning added afterwards; they are an organic part of the musical expression.

Max Savikangas 2012

Whisked Whistle for Symphony Orchestra(2011)

First performance on October 23rd 2014 by Uppsala Kammarorkester, cond. Gérard Korsten

Waymarks

Himmel Punk (2016)
commissioned by Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra

Himmel Punk

live recording, first performance

Mariel Roberts, cello
Eric Wubbels, piano

St. Peter's Church, Chelsea
New York, NY
December 13th, 2016

gretchen am spinnrade [2016] (live, premiere)

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)

Leevi Madetoja - Kuoleman puutarha (op. 41) III: Berceuse

S.Rachmaninov : Etude op. 33 no 4

F. Chopin: Etude op. 25 no. 11 "Winterwind"

Cecilia Damström: Piano Delirium op. 9

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.

Aino - IV. Rautaa (Iron)

ceciliadamstrom

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