Finnish Violinist Pekka Kuusisto to Lead ACO Collective in Beethoven & the 21st Century in February

When Kuusisto first toured with us in 2009, we fell in love with his exuberant style of music-making, bristling with invention and energy, taking "every piece he performs, however familiar, back to first principles, stripping any vestige of interpretative tradition and playing it as though he were hearing it for the first time."

Kuusisto's sense of musical adventure and highly individualistic style sees him equally adept at playing folk, electronic, jazz, rock, and improvising, alongside classical music. He is "... a very rare example of a musician who can focus his puckish intensity in several different directions without diluting what he does in any of them." This most versatile of artists directs his own music festival, is in demand internationally as a soloist and director, and is evangelistic in his promotion of new music.

Kuusisto is the perfect catalyst to ignite the imaginations of the fiery young guns of ACO Collective in their spirited touring adventures across the country. ACO Collective first appeared in an ACO main-stage season in 2013 under the direction of ACO's Artistic Director, Richard Tognetti, with The Australian saying "[it was]...one of the year's must-hear concerts."

Richard Tognetti says, "I first met and heard Pekka shortly after his historic win at the International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition in 1995. He was the first Finn to win the competition which is one of the top three in the world. Pekka was invited to direct the ACO and a relationship was forged, resulting in his being a part of the collective consciousness of the ACO. Pekka has a calling to turn things on their head. A musical insight that is as disturbing as it is compelling. He's a musician for the new world and, therefore, his appointment to the newly branded ACO Collective couldn't be bettered. "

Kuusisto leads ACO Collective in our season-opener in 2016 in a program that interweaves contemporary works by living composers along with pieces by Tippett, fellow countryman Sibelius, and Beethoven.

Kuusisto says, "The ACO's 2016 season is themed around Beethoven's late string quartets, and so this formed the basis of the program. After much discussion, Opus. 95 was chosen as the closing work of the concert. I was then given the extremely delicate task of exploring repertoire which would both complement and introduce this highly experimental work."

"Op.95 has a particularly explosive opening statement, so we needed something very intimate and gentle to precede it, in order not to steal Beethoven's thunder. Rakastava by Sibelius is the perfect thing, with a feel of very distinct lighting. At the risk of sounding like a tourist advert for my part of the planet, I'd say that it's very much about dusk in a Fennoscandian forest, around mid-June. Everything in Rakastava feels and smells like nature at night, so we needed another kind of light before it. Cue Tenebre by Bryce Dessner (guitarist with The National). Originally written as a gift for the lighting designer of the Kronos Quartet, its shadows are very architectural. Tenebre is inspired by ceremonial vocal music, which ties it nicely to Rakastava as well, since the Sibelius work started its life as a suite for male choir, with lyrics from Finnish traditional poetry. Maybe we'll sing a bit in this concert as well."

"The massive nod that Tenebre gives to earlier music is mirrored from Tippett's Lament, which contains a direct quote from Ah, Belinda by Henry Purcell. Sir Michael Tippett's amazing handling of a string orchestra has certainly been an inspiration to Bryce Dessner and Erkki-Sven Tüür. Tüür's work also has some delicious Purcellian clashings, especially in the middle movement, and the warm and fuzzy activities in the low register constantly remind me of Vaughan Williams and Britten. The outer movements give us a healthy reminder to listen to Estonian prog rock, as well as echoing some moments from Britten's Les Illuminations, which is convenient, since Britten is one of the heroes of Nico Muhly."

"Nico's beautiful collection of violin gestures is originally the first movement of a suite for violin and piano, and includes an element of contained improvisation, which is a lovely way to begin a concert. Both Nico and Bryce are dear friends of mine, and I'm ecstatic to get to bring their music to ACO Collective."

At the end of Beethoven's 'middle period', he used his Op.95 Serioso quartet as a springboard into the completely new language that would exemplify his final quartets. Kuusisto says "In the case of Op.95, we are faced with a dilemma - Beethoven himself wrote that the work should not be performed to the general public, but only for a small circle of connoisseurs. I'm excited about the challenge and will dive into it trusting that Beethoven would have changed his mind upon hearing ACO Collective."

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