Biathlon World Cup, Kontiolahti
10.-16.3.2014

We would like to thank all the spectators and organizers for the wonderful week, we hope to see you again next year!

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The Biathlon World Cup races at Kontiolahti, North Karelia are getting closer. The week’s program includes also many cultural activities. On this page we will introduce the concerts at VIP-pavillion and Karelia Inspiration piano concert. You can have a look at the full events calendar on this page.

Kontiolahti Biathlon Stadium, VIP-pavilion
Thu 13.03 Musical Journey around the World
Sat 15.03 The Accordion Champion Sami Hopponen
Sun 16.03 Jazz and Evergreens

Joensuu, Konservatorio Concert Hall
Tue 11.03 Karelia Inspiration

Music experiences in the VIP – pavilion

On the side of competition excitement, the holders of VIP -ticket may also enjoy a diverse menu of live music. A selection of excellent North Karelian musicians will be heard in the VIP –pavilion each day of competition.
 
The performances are held during the breaks in between of men’s and women’s races (the times given are approximate). Get your VIP-ticket here.

Thu. 13th March 6 pm
Vocal group LuoTu and “Musical Journey around the World”

The story of LuoTu began in 2008, when Timo Turunen, a tenor, and two sopranos Henna-Mari Luolamo and Talvi-Maaria Turunen decided to unite their voices. In Eastern Finland the trio has become known of especially their concerts called “Valot Tuhannet” (“Thousands of Lights”). However this time, in order to celebrate the World Cup, LuoTu will take the listeners on a special journey around the world.
 
German lieder, Russian romances, French chansons, Scandinavian romanticism… LuoTu represents the classics of different countries with sincere, undeniable intensity. Also, another voyager will join the journey when Tuomas Turunen, fantastic pianist and a real-life traveler himself, takes his place behind the piano.


Sat. 15th March 3 pm
The Accordion Champion Sami Hopponen

Sami Hopponen, an award-winning virtuoso, is a true champion among accordionists. It is no wonder he also enjoys international appreciation. This winner of the year 2007 “Golden Accordion” –competition shows the meaning of finger-acrobatics while he entertains the audience with his energetic, boyish charm.  It is very likely the program filled with hits of accordion repertoire will make the spectators gasp!

www.samihopponen.fi


Sun. 16th March 12.30 pm
Jazz and Evergreens

On the last day of the competition, “boys of the same neighborhood” will get on the stage of VIP –pavilion. Violinist Olli Hirvikangas and pianist Tuomas Turunen both come originally from the village Lehmo at Kontiolahti. These days, Hirvikangas is one of the prominent artists of the North Karelian district; he works as a versatile professional musician as well as a violin teacher in Joensuu Conservatory and Central-Karelia music school. Turunen, in turn, has created a career as a jazz-pianist widely all over the Europe and nowadays lives in France. His rich history of performances consists of concerts in 15 different countries and he is playing already in 12 recordings. No doubt a legendary encounter is expected, when these two virtuosos of their instruments meet and throw themselves in moods of swing and nostalgia.

Concerts at Joensuu: Karelia Inspiration

Tue. 11th March 7 pm, the concert hall of Joensuu Conservatory

Joensuu Jazz Club -76 and pianist Tuomas A. Turunen welcome the biathlon guests to Joensuu region. In Karelia Inspiration concert Turunen creates many moods from elegant simplicity to energetic grooves as he interprets Nordic and Slavic popular tunes. He is known for his innovative way of playing, including turning the grand piano into a banjo or a rhythm machine. As Turunen promises not to forget the multinational atmosphere of the biathlon week, it seems that the evening at the concert hall of Joensuu Conservatory will be full of surprises.

Tuomas A. Turunen is an award-winning Finnish jazz pianist. He is a frequent performer at the top jazz events in Finland including Pori Jazz, Jazz-Espa, Ylläs Jazz & Blues as well as at other European festivals such as Jazz Baltica, Montreux Jazz Festival, Getxo Jazz, Swedish Jazz Celebration and Jazzkaar. 
Since obtaining his Master of Music degree in 2009, he has been based in France, working as a freelance musician, composer and entrepreneur. Tuomas has released 12 albums with his different groups and he was awarded the Jazz Scholarship of Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 2009. In 2010 he won the Jury's Special Price at Montreux Jazz Festival's piano competition.

Karelia Inspiration webpage (in Finnish)
Tickets 15/10/6 €. For reservations contact Levy-Eskot (013) 228 292 / kauppa@levy-eskot.com

Price information and reservations for VIP-tickets, click here