Pohjaton is a concert featuring newly commissioned works for flute, cello, and electronics, each inspired somehow by water, from its natural wonders to the urgent environmental issues around it.

PROGRAM

‘Agape’ (2023) for solo flute by Mioko Yokoyama

‘The Dust Bowl’ (2023) for cello and electronics by Ville Aslak Raasakka

‘Waves Don’t Wash on Dormant Waters’ (2023) for bass flute and electronics by Ville Aslak Raasakka

‘Pohjaton’ (premiere) for flute, cello and electronics by Turka Inkilä

Mioko Yokoyama’s Agape for solo flute is inspired by the Mediterranean Sea. For Yokoyama, the sea symbolizes immense love and humanity, and her piece intertwines three distinct sonic worlds: percussive sounds, breathy spoken tones, and the traditional voice of the flute. These elements converge in a rich, evolving tapestry, reflecting her deep connection to the Mediterranean.

Ville Aslak Raasakka’s ‘Waves Don’t Wash on Dormant Waters’ (2023) for bass flute and electronics explores the environmental issue of marine plastic pollution. Drawing inspiration from marine biologist Pinja Näkki’s research, Raasakka uses hydrophone recordings from Vanhankaupunginlahti Bay, blending sounds of plastic debris with the bass flute to create a dialogue. This piece transforms environmental data into musical elements—rhythm, texture, and movement—calling attention to the crisis facing our oceans.

‘The Dust Bowl’ (2023) for Cello is a piece about a severe era of dust storms at the American prairies. The storms came in three waves in 1934, 1936 and 1939-40. Drought and poor farming methods dried out the soil and loosened the topsoil to swirl in the wind. Dusty, swirling and circular sounds take over the cello in this work composed in close collaboration with Iida-Vilhelmiina Sinivalo. Many of the sound production methods and artistic ideas were born in dialogue with Sinivalo’s improvisatory and discursive artistic method.

‘Pohjaton’, is a new work by Turkka Inkilä for flute, cello, and electronics. This composition explores deep-sea soundscapes, medieval mysticism, and the psychological depth of the ocean. Inkilä’s piece meditates on the growing concerns surrounding deep-sea mining and its environmental impact, particularly the noise pollution it creates. As the industry expands, questions arise about how mining activities might disrupt marine mammal communication and migration. Pohjaton offers a sonic exploration of these pressing issues, inviting us to reflect on our relationship with the sea and its future. The concert showcases pieces written specifically for Livia and Iida, and the sonic journey of these pieces coming together hopes to bring give the opportunity to reflect on the profound influence water (and also the lack of it) has on our world.

The concert will last approximately one hour, offering a space to reflect on the ocean’s beauty, fragility, and its essential role in sustaining life on Earth.

FREE ENTRANCE!