Estimated duration

1 h 30 min.

Organizer

Helsingin kaupunginorkesteri

From hushed whispers to a thunderous roar – the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra’s wind quintet maintains traditions and joins forces with Olli Mustonen.

Olli Mustonen, piano
Crusell Quintet:
Niamh McKenna, flute
Hannu Perttilä, oboe
Samuel Buron-Mousseau, clarinet
Ville Hiilivirta, horn
Markus Tuukkanen, bassoon

Rodion Štšedrin: Three Shepherds
Benjamin Britten: Serenade osa I: Prologue
Malcolm Arnold: Fantasy, Op. 86
Olli Mustonen: Sextet

Olli Mustonen’s Sextet is a spirited, high-energy piece for five wind players and piano, adapted from a string quintet. This entertaining piece has delighted audiences across Europe. The evening’s programme begins with quiet whispers from behind the audience; gradually, the performers make their way to their positions at the front, and the ensemble performance can begin in earnest.
The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra’s woodwind quintet was founded in 1935; from 1939 onwards, its established members were flautist Hanns Alvas, oboist Asser Sipilä, clarinettist Cosimo Sgobba, horn player Holger Fransman, and bassoonist Aarne Viljava. The quintet performed frequently on the radio, particularly in its early years, and performed the Finnish premieres of woodwind quintets by composers such as Nielsen, Hindemith, Ibert, Klughardt, and Onslow. The ensemble also commissioned new works from Finnish composers and premiered new domestic wind chamber pieces.
In 1950, to mark the 175th anniversary of the birth of Bernhard Henrik Crusell, the quintet was named the Crusell Quintet in honour of the renowned clarinet virtuoso and composer for wind instruments. The quintet was active for over 30 years, but its activities wound down in the late 1960s as its members gradually retired from the orchestra.
The Crusell Quintet is now active once again, with plans for several concerts featuring the current principal players.

Free admission – welcome! The programme begins at 9pm after the evening’s concert, and the café is open until 9:45pm.