Marja Rautakorpi and Duo IhanUus: Souvenirs

Flamenco dancer Marja Rautakorpi and cello-guitar duet Duo IhanUus dive together into the world of tango.

The program is built on the dialogue of new and old as well as domestic and international tango. At its center are commissioned works by two Finnish composers from Pirkanmaa, Ilkka Hammo and Tuomas Turriago.

Hammo's Souvenirs is a work of five movements composed for Duo IhanUus, in which tango is approached reminiscing the original style from a distance.

Turriago’s work brings dance and music to a special dialogue, as it is composed for dance, cello and guitar.

Alongside domestic works, the international tango is represented by Italian, Spanish and Argentine tangos from well-known composers such as Bellafronte, Albéniz and Astor Piazzolla, whose 100th birthday we celebrate this year.

Marja Rautakorpi is a Finnish flamenco dancer who explores new ways to approach flamenco both bodily and musically. Her work is crystallized in the following three theses: dancer is a musician, dance is dialogue, and interdisciplinary collaboration is always a fresh opportunity. Introduced by these theses, Marja works in the concert series as a percussionist and a dancer, deepening the listener's concert experience with her movement and strong presence.

For twenty years, Duo IhanUus, Hanna Kilpinen (cello) and Olli Hyyrynen (guitar) have been taking music from concert halls to various environments, such as sheltered homes, psychiatric hospitals, housing units for the disabled, cafés and galleries. Traditional Spanish repertoire for cello and guitar is well-known to the duo. The duo is very pleased that this year's repertoire also includes works by composers from Pirkanmaa.