Finland: May 2006 Report
Fimic Strengthens Ties with Russia and the Far East
Fimic has been as busy as ever. The new areas to explore have been Russia and the Far East: in both territories Fimic has been building networks in both classical and popular music. For example, we have organized the Finnish popular music industry network meetings with local forces in Moscow (April) and in Tokyo (May).
The profile of our work has continued our proven path, and is divided between active promotion in various countries as well as producing publications (promotional CDs, books, brochures) and answering the demands of various music professionals all around the globe.
Some of the high points in our latest activities have been the MIDEM Opening Night in Cannes and the IAJE conference in New York, both in January. Also new publications on Finnish music have been issued.
Come hear. Finland campaign on MIDEM Opening Night 2006
Finland hosted the Opening Night of the MIDEM International Music Market under the slogan Come hear. Finland on 22 January 2006, in Cannes, France. This year's edition marked also the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the world's biggest music trade fair. The Opening Night production was coordinated by Music Export Finland (Musex).
The Finnish music industry was heavily present in MIDEM: 164 Finnish professionals represented a total of 57 companies. A special 3CD + DVD compilation for the Midem campaign was compiled by Musex and the Finnish Music Information Centre (Fimic).
The Opening Night bill covering all three stages of the Palais des Festivals featured 14 Finnish bands and artists performing live, including pop and hip-hop appearances (The Crash, Don Johnson Big Band, Redrama), gothic rock and metal (The 69 Eyes, Apocalyptica, Twilightning), world music (Kimmo Pohjonen Kluster, Värttinä), clubbers choice jazz (RinneRadio, The Five Corners Quintet) and cutting-edge DJ sets (Darude, Jori Hulkkonen, Slow, DJ Bunuel).
The export action of Finnish popular music continued in North America's major gatherings, the South by Southwest (SXSW) and the Canadian Music Week (CMW) in March.
IAJE Conference Focused on Nordic Jazz
The delegations of Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark joined forces to present Nordic jazz at the international IAJE conference in New York on 11-14 January 2006. The effort entitled Nordic Jazz Now was one of the focal points of the event.
The official concert programme of the conference featured one group from each Nordic country, the Hear Hear! trio of Jukka Perko, Severi Pyysalo and Teemu Viinikainen (FIN), E.S.T. (SWE), Anderskov Accident (DEN), and the Trondheim Jazz Orkester (NOR) featuring Chick Corea as soloist. Additionally, the student groups Jukka Eskola Quintet (FIN), Oscar Grönberg Quartet (SWE), and CNAM Quartet (DEN) performed with mandates of their respective music schools.
A joint Nordic area encompassing 15 organizations or companies was set up in the trade fair area. Almost half of the companies hailed from Finland, including representatives from the Finnish Jazz Federation, UMO Jazz Orchestra, Sibelius Academy Jazz Music Department, Helsinki Pop & Jazz Conservatory, Helsinki Polytechnic Stadia, and the head coordinator of the Nordic Jazz Now project, the Finnish Music Information Center (Fimic).
Additionally, a focus panel 'Jazz Education in Scandinavia' was included in the conference agenda with representatives of Nordic jazz institutions and their American colleagues discussing the present state and future of Scandinavia's jazz education.
Music Industry Networking in Moscow and Tokyo
A second export event organized by the Fimic in Moscow, Russia, took place on 19-21 April 2006. Tailored tutoring on the Russian market was targeted for the Finnish participants who consequently established contacts with Russian music professionals in special networking sessions. Jimi Tenor, Hevein, Lodger and DJ Lil' Tony performed on three showcase nights in the IKRA venue.
The already traditional meeting forum between the music industries of Finland and Japan, The Finnish Music Days in Tokyo, will take place on 25-26 May. The joint undertaking of Fimic and Music Export Finland (Musex) includes functions such as providing facilities for personal meetings, producing showcase appearances of Finnish artists, and releasing a compilation album.
Finnish Concertos and Orchestral Music Score High
In February 2006, Fimic published in February 2006 a new book titled Finnish Orchestral Music and Concertos 1995-2005 written by Kimmo Korhonen. The volume updates the two separate volumes of Finnish Orchestral Music 2 and Finnish Concertos, both published in 1995.
The book shows that during the last ten years the attitude towards both tradition-laden genres have seen a great change. Many composers have added both genres as a natural part of their work curricula, and some younger generation composers are particularly interested in cultivating the concerto idiom in their oeuvre.
If the word 'symphony' was not really a catch-word of the late 1980s or early 1990s Modernists, the mid-generation of Finnish composers have lately seen its possibilities as a 'master form' showing off the handicraft and expressive skills in their music.
Finnish Orchestral Music and Concertos 1995-2005 is part of the English-language series of publications presenting various Finnish art music genres. The book is also available online at: www.fimic.fi/orchestra&concertos.
Conductors' Choice and Voice
This Spring, Fimic will publish a new book on works for Finnish chamber orchestra. Conductors' Edition: Finnish works for chamber orchestra is based on interviews with Finnish younger generation conductors who has premiered or otherwise performed the works selected for the publication. The time span of the works presented is nearly 40 years, and the volume both orchestral as well as concertante works. The book is written by Rautavaara scholar and freelance music critic Samuli Tiikkaja. It is intended for conductors and chamber orchestras exploring new, interesting repertoire.
Kalevala and Finnish Music
Inspired by Tradition: Kalevala poetry and Finnish music was the Fimic sales hit of the year 2005. Although a promotional publication, it has become one of the books most sold by Fimic to date.
Published in January 2005 as a promotional book, this is the first ever to explore the use and influences of the ancient runic Kalevala poetry in all musical genres. The articles included vary from classical and folk music to jazz and pop, including a chapter on Finnish heavy metal. All writers are experts in their field.
Jazz and Folk Add to the Menu of Fimic Newsletters
The first edition of Fimic Jazz News and Fimic Folk Music News email newsletters were sent in January and February, respectively. The aim of the newsletters is to deliver information on current events in Finnish music, including international performances, and tours as well as prizes and prominent album releases.
In 2006 Fimic Jazz News and Fimic Folk Music News will be mailed 4 times. Fimic Contemporary Music News, published since 2000, will appear monthly.
To subscribe to the newsletters, go to www.fimic.fi/newsletter. Fimic's ever-expanding website is available for further navigating, too. It displays a vast selection of audio samples, biographies, discographies, listings of latest releases and general articles.
Children's Music in Finland
Finnish children's music was one of the main projects of Fimic in 2005. We produced Finnish-language material online updating the list of artists and composers. Fimic also published the first-ever annotated listing of the most important Finnish children's music recordings. A listing of Finnish children's operas is due to be published in 2006. The children's music page (in Finnish only) is located at the following URL: www.fimic.fi/lastenmusiikki.
Popcity 2006, Rovaniemi
Fimic has chosen the City of Rovaniemi as the Popcity 2006. The aim of the Popcity project is to strengthen the structures of the local pop/rock scene and to develop nationwide interest for the as-yet unknown bands of the region. The project also stresses the importance of regional culture as opposed to what's going on in Helsinki.
For the "official" Popcity artists the project offers performing opportunities and funding to record a CD single in a professional studio. All musicians of Rovaniemi and its surroundings are welcome to partake in the educational events. The first domestic Popcity project was launched in 2001 in Joensuu. Other Popcities have been Jyväskylä (2002), Seinäjoki (2003), Oulu (2004), and Kuopio (2005).
