Finland’s renowned organist Kalevi Kiviniemi and Sibelius baritone Jukka Pietilä will present a recital Friday, October 16 in Christ Chapel on the Gustavus Adolphus College campus. This performance, funded by the Gustavus Artist Series and the Finlandia Foundation, Twin Cities, is part of a North American concert tour by the duo and will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available online at gustavustickets.com or by calling 507-933-7590 or at the door one hour prior to the concert.
This concert tour by Kalevi Kiviniemi and Jukka Pietilä marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of the great Finnish composer Jean Sibelius and includes concerts in Canada and the U.S. Friday’s concert at Gustavus will include Sibelius’ “Finlandia,” as well as songs such as “Kom nu hit, död!,” “Diamond in the Snow,” “To Evening,” “Driftwood” and others. Kiviniemi will also perform the solo works for organ by Franz Liszt, Charles Marie-Widor, Aulis Sallinin and Pierre Cochereau, along with his own improvisations.
Kalevi Kiviniemi is renowned as one of the world’s finest organists and has often been called the master of improvisation. He is a frequent performer in at the Cathedral of Notre Dame and the Church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris and has made over 150 recordings that have sold platinum and gold. Kiviniemi has performed alongside the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, among others. In 2009, he was granted the State Prize for Music in Finland, the most significant music award in the country.
Baritone Jukka Pietilä will perform the songs of Jean Sibelius. Pietilä is the director of church music department and lead cantor/soloist at the Cathedral in Turku, Finland – the “Mother Church” and birthplace of Christianity in Finland – and also the heart of the Swedish speaking population in Finland. He is a graduate of the Sibelius Academy, a highly respected choral director and has performed as a vocal soloist in several countries. In 2003 Jukka Pietilä was granted the title of Director Cantus.
It is an honor for Gustavus to present this Finnish duo on the campus with the generous support of the Finlandia Foundation, Twin Cities and the Gustavus Artist Series. The concert by organist Kalevi Kiviniemi and baritone Jukka Pietilä will be presented in Christ Chapel on Friday, October 16 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available in advance at gustavustickets.com but will also be available for purchase in the narthex of Christ Chapel on the evening of the event. Tickets are $12 for general admission adults and $9 for senior citizens, students and Gustavus staff. Tickets are available to Gustavus students with a current ID at no charge. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.
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