2.1.2009

Happy new year again!
Well, Dybbuk Ahava for Orcherstra was performed May 08 by Lahti Symphony Orchestra. Summer included quite a few festivals, chamber music and etnomusic. New composition "Wardi" was also premiered by Zagros and Frio. Doina Klezmer toured in Finland in November. Zagros had a 15 -year concert! Etc...
What's coming, more soon.

16.1.2008

Happy new year!
Zagros profile-cd was chosen one of "Records of the Year 2007" in the Helsingin Sanomat. It is also one of the five nominees for the Classical Emma -price in Finland. The cd has also achieved very enthusiastic feedback from the media.

The new record of the Frio (trio by Lassila-Nikula-Tapio) and Rax Rinnekangas, "Sketches of Art in Artists" ( based on the photographs of Rinnekangas), will be published on 8th of February in Ateneum, Helsinki - Lassila being one of the composers, musicians, producers and exectutive producers on this cd..

Doina Klezmer is performing in Utrecht 19.1.

17.11.2007

The new Zagros profile-cd (Alba Records) is published 24.11.2007. At the same date Zagros is also giving a concert planned by Sampo Lassila. Program includes Fagerudd's "hums, whispers, silence, a book, a daydream & the Sun", Isidora Zebeljan's "Song of a Traveller in the Night" and Franz Schubert's Octet F D802. www.zagros.fi
Doina Klezmer made a minitour to Sweden and Finland and earlier in the autumn also performed in St. Petersburg. www.doinaklezmer.com
"Kirje" for klezmer quartet is published as a score via Sibeliusmusic.com. www.sibeliusmusic.com
A new trio of Heikki Nikula, Jorma Tapio and Sampo Lassila recorded an album based on Rax Rinnekangas' inspiriring photograhps of artists of our time.

26.4.2007

Zagros will soon publish its first cd profiling the ensemble. Contemporary Finnish chamber music combined with Webern, will be a very a intersting whole. Also multichannel Webern, which is quite touching sound! Kaski is recording a new cd next month, compromising nothing in its music as its style is. Sinfonia Lahti had a quite succesful tour to Wienna Musikverein (three concerts) and Berlin Philharmonie in February. Sailing-season approaches!

3.11.2006

Doina Klezmer celebrated age of 10 years with a concert in Savoy -theater in Helsinki. Program included new compositions and arrangements. Guest artists were Aija Puurtinen, Arktinen Hysteria -woodwindquintet among others. Zagros is recording a new album featuring the ensemble, published by Alba Records. Kaski -trio with Tapio and Tuomi has a new demo out.

3.6.2006

Zagros performs at the Kallio-Kuninkala festival 9.-11.6. Doina Klezmer peforms at Korsholma Music festival, at Haapavesi Folk -festival and at Etno-Espa -festival. Kaski-trio performs in Tampere. Lassila performs also at the Omenapuun Varjossa -chamber music festival in Nummi-Pusula and at the Savonlinna Opera Festival.

17.1.2006

Sampo Lassila performs in a new group with Jorma Tapio and Janne Tuomi in Potlatch -festival in Helsinki. 30.1. it's time to go to Villa Karo in Benin, West-Africa, to work on the solo-cd material.

Now! 27.11.2005

Zagros chamber music ensemble is having a concert 5.11. in Helsinki. In the Concert, planned by Sampo Lassila, ensemble performs klezmer chamber music by Golijov and Shiff, new premiere on Aija Puurtinen for six players and two singers and, first time in Finland, the whole balletmusic of Prokofjev, the Trapeze.

Now! 11.5.2005

Doina Klezmer came from a succesfull (mini) tour from Sweden. Audiences were enthusiastic both in Torshälla, Stockholm and in Folkmusikens hus, Rättvik. Only negative point was, that percussionist Tapani Jämsen's drums were stolen in Stockholm. Shame on the Swedish thieves!

Now! 7.3.2005

Both Nada- group, Zagros and Doina Klezmer got support and grants from the Arts Council of Finland 4.3.2005.

The 5th Anniversary of the Sibelius Hall is celebrated in Sinfonia Lahti concerts on 17th and 18th of March. Concerts include the World premiere of Kalevi Aho's 13th Symphony, original version of Sibelius' Spring Song and the Violin Concerto of Johannes Brahms. Viktoria Mullova performs as a soloist, concerts are conducted by Osmo Vänskä, who was recently named Musical America's ‘Conductor of Year'.

Now! 6.2.2005

Doina Klezmer performed succesfully in Turku and in Savonlinna 2.2. and 5.2. In the beginning of May the group goes on a small but long-expected tour in Sweden.

Sinfonia Lahti got very positive critics of it's concerts in Minnesota, Ann Arbor, Toledo and Lincoln Center, New York. A new tour to USA is already negotiated.

Now! 6.1.2005

Happy New Year!

Sinfonia Lahti is going on tour to U.S.A 23.-30.1.2005, conducted by Osmo Vänskä.

Now! 6.11

Doina Klezmer's Nomada -album is a nominee to receive the Teosto -price 2004. Phe price (40 000 €) has 11 nominees of all musical genres in Finland.

(Well, we didn't get the price, but nomination was already an honour, thanks.) (December, 2004)

Now! 14.10.

Doina Klezmer's Nomada -album has got excellent rewievs in the press - the band has been said to be one of the most interesting klezmer groups in Europe nowdays.

Now! 12.10.

Sampo Lassila has been granted with one year State Grants for Artists 2005-2006.

Now! 28.9.

Doina Klezmer is on autumn tour 22.10-29.10. The tour ends with a concert in Moscow DOM -klezmer festival.
In Finland the concerts take place in Lahti, Helsinki, Uusikaupunki, Salo, Mikkeli and Toijala.

Now! 14.9.

The New book of Eero Hämeenniemi (of Nada and eRRe groups) has been published in Finland. The book is about Southern India and is called "Missä sede leikkii."

Now!! 24.8.

Doina Klezmer yhtyeen levy, Nomada, on Aksentti -lehden kuukauden levy.
Lehdessä arvostellaan vuosittain noin 2000 tasokasta äänitettä.