LUOSTO CLASSIC

This classical music event shuns all boundaries in bringing the finest artistic experi-ences to the fells of Finnish Lapland. The heavens alone provide the roof and great old pine trees form the walls of Ukko-Luosto concert hall, which provides seating for 2,000 and plenty of space besides for those who would simply lie in the heather. In 2009 the visiting top orchestra is the Avanti! with Indian karnatic music superstar Bombay Jayashri and percussion specialists Pungkulam Subramaiam and S.Karthick as soloists. The Male choir of Lapland with 100 singers perform in the opening concert.

LuostoClassic is a different classical music festival
It brings the most exquisite artistic music and top orchestras outdoors into the fell nature to be experienced by ordinary people.  The first LuostoClassic festival in 2003 won the Award of the Culture year.   Then The Radio Symphony Orchestra and Lapland Chamber conducted by John Storgårds premiered Kalevi Aho’s Luosto Symphony outdoors on fell slope in the exact place for where it was composed. According to the jury, "The 'Luosto Symphony' brought a completely new dimension to contemporary music. Based on an ecological idea the stones and wind of the Luosto fell may direct the sound merging the nature of Lapland and music into a cross artistic experience.  Without courage and certain amount of madness this couldn't have been possible."  The audience sat on stones or lounged on heather.  The jury agreed that ”New history of music performance was created at Luosto”.

The venues of LuostoClassic festival are extraordinary places where the soul rests even without music.  At Ukko-Luosto there are eight stages for performers around the audience and the listeners sit in the lap of the music.  Aittakuru amphitheatre is in a raven formed by a glacial river.  On stage near a pond at bottom of the ravine the musicians play to audience sitting tens of meters above.  At the Avenlampi (Perch pond) the clear water carries the finest tunes to enjoying ears of the audience sitting on the banks of the pond.

The festival programs manifest the uncompromising quality ambitions of the artistic director John Storgårds demonstrating also his love to Lapland.  This year brings to Lapland the Avanti!, the orchestra of top professionals that reforms the classical music. As part of the main concert in Saturday  is “The rain and red country” composed by Eero Hämeenniemi. World class superstar Indian Bombay Jayashri performs as soloist with his percussion virtuosos.  Avanti! has three concerts during the festival.   The Indian group has a solo concert at Ahvenlampi. They play karnatic music that goes directly into the soul just like the Lappish yoik. The opening concert  in Aittakuru is the powerful performance of the Lappish Male choir with 100 singers. All the Pyhä-Luosto area is tuned to the special atmosphere of the LuostoClassic festival. In the festival club the the top performers improvise and as usual there will be some surprises.