Wennäkoski, Lotta
The music of Lotta Wennäkoski (b. 1970) has been performed at an increasing rate around the world especially after her success with Flounce premiered at the ‘ast Night of the Proms in London on 9 September 2017.
Wennäkoski studied at the Budapest Conservatory as well as at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and completed her studies in the Netherlands with Louis Andriessen. A major landmark in her early composing career was a focus concert at the Musica nova Helsinki festival after which she established her reputation on the Finnish contemporary music scene. Among the first orchestral commissions are Sakara (Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra/Esa-Pekka Salonen, 2003), Hava (Tapiola Sinfonietta, 2008) and the Flute Concerto Soie (Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, 2009) which was chosen as one of the recommended works at the Unesco International Rostrum of Composers.
Lotta Wennäkoski’s music is often marked by transparent timbres and dreamy glissandos but there is also drive, energy and humour in her works. According to Gramophone her highly individual way with orchestration, incredible economy of means and discernible musical goals make for music that cleanses the ear with its originality.
Her works include Jong (2013), in which the soloist with a chamber orchestra is a juggler, music for the silent movie Amor omnia (2012) and Susurrus (2016), a guitar concerto co-commissioned by the Kymi and Tapiola Sinfoniettas. The Scottish Chamber Orchestra commission Verdigris was premiered in the UK in 2015.
Flounce was premiered by the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Proms in 2017. This commission was a curtain raiser and became an international hit which has been performed around the world. Hele for 12 players was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association and Gustavo Dudamel and the first performance took place in 2018 conducted by Susanna Mälkki. Uniin asti for male choir and orchestra was written at the request of the Polytech Choir and the Finnish RSO and premiered in 2017 in Helsinki. Foliage commissioned for the Turku International Cello Competition in 2018 is available both as a version for cello and piano and cello and orchestra.
Om fotspår och ljus (Of Footprints and Light, 2019) is a 11-minute tone poem written for the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra as the first part of its Helsinki Variations series. It has since then become a popular concert opener alongside with the 5-minute Flounce. Ele for clarinet and orchestra was first heard in 2023 with clarinettist Lauri Sallinen and the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra. The work was a co-commission with Music Vitae.
The Danish String Quartet performed her string quartet Pige at the Carnegie Hall on 21 April 2022 and several performances followed in the US, Canada and Europe. This was a project initiated by the quartet with the support of Carnegie Hall, Cal Performances, the Vancouver Recital Society, UC Santa Barbara Arts & Lectures, Flagey & Muziekgebouw. Lotta’s following string quartet Flickereth was composed for the Kamus Quartet.
Among Wennäkoski’s major works is the violin concerto Prosoidia premiered by the BBC Symphony Orchestra and violinist Ilya Gringolts in 2023. It was co-commissioned by the BBC, Lahti and Norrlandsoperan Symphony Orchestras. The Savonlinna Opera Festival commissioned an opera from Wennäkoski. The libretto for Regine is written by Laura Krohn Voipio, and it tells the story of philosopher Søren Kierkegaard’s fiancé, Regine Olsen.
The Finnish RSO chose Lotta Wennäkoski as its spotlight composer in the 2021/2022 season and commissioned the harp concerto Sigla which was premiered in May 2022 with Sivan Magen as the soloist. Lotta was Composer-in-Residence at the Oremandsgaard chamber music festival in Denmark in 2023, and several other festivals and orchestras have highlighted her music.
Her CDs have received critical acclaim. The Ondine disc including Flounce, Sedecim and Sigla won the British Gramophone Award for the best release in the contemporary category in 2023. The US National Public Radio named her Flounce on its list of top 10 classical recordings of the year. Wennäkoski has also written a wealth of chamber music. Avanti! chamber orchestra released an album of Wennäkoski’s smaller-scale works in 2023 on the Alba label. Among the works on the disc are Zeng for recorder, percussion and strings and the piano trio Päärme.
Amor Omnia Suite
for orchestra (2012/2014)
for orchestra
3(II+afl;III+picc)23(III=bcl)2-2221-13-hp-pf-str Percussion: Snare drum, Bass drum, 3 Suspended cymbals, Hi-hat, Tam-tam, Crotales, Vibraphone, Triangle, Wood block, Temple block, Cowbell, 2 Sandpaper blocks, Lion's roar
Duration: 24
Ele
Five gestic scenes (2022-23)
for clarinet and string orchestra
str (4.4.3.2.1 + quintet 1.1.1.1.1) + toy whistle for the conductor
Duration: 25
Flounce
(2017)
for orchestra
3(III=picc)2(II+ca)3(III=bcl)2(II=cfg)-422(II=btrb)1-03-hp-str Percussion: Bass Drum, 2 Cymbals, Gongs, Crotales, Xylophone, Vibraphone, Triangle, Temple block, Guiro, Cowbells, Rainstick, Slide Whistle, Vibraslap
Duration: 5
Foliage
for cello and orchestra (2017)
commissioned by Turku Cello Competition
2(II=picc)22(II=bcl)2-2100-01-str Percussion: Tom-tom, Suspended cymbal, Tam-Tam, Crotales, Vibraphone, Triangle, Vibraslap, Slide whistle
Duration: 9
Hava
for orchestra (2008)
2(I+picc,II+afl)22(II=bcl)2-2200-01(or2)-str Percussion: Bass drum, Cymbal (also with bow), Hi-hat, Vibraphone. Triangle, Cowbell, Vibraslap, Lion's Roar
Duration: 10
Hele
(2018)
for ensemble
1111-1100-01-str(11111) Percussion: Snare drum, Cymbal, Tam-tam (medium), Vibraphone, Temple block (large), Sandpaper blocks, Cowbell (large), Slide whistle, Vibraslap, Lion's roar (small), Typewriter Other: Slide whistle (a toy will do), 2 Toy bird whistles
Duration: 13
I stället för vingar
Four songs for poems by Eva-Stina Byggmästar (2014/2017)
for mezzo-soprano and ensemble
cl(+bcl)-perc-cb [SALES MATERIAL]
Duration: 13
Jong
Music for juggler (opt.) and chamber orchestra (2013)
juggler (opt.) and chamber orchestra
1(+afl)11(+bcl)1-1000-00-str(43321) Each woodwind player also has - a recorder (of any kind, even a toy) - at least three plastic drinking straw oboes - an egg slicer (on a sounding board) - little scissors (to cut the straw) Each violinist also has a drinking straw oboe The juggler might also have some of these instruments
Duration: 18
Kolme runoa / Three Poems
(1996)
for mezzo-soprano, alto flute, bass clarinet and string quartet
1. Jos on totta 2. Sanko kumahtaa 3. Mistä tämä onnen tunne
Duration: 9
Om fotspår och ljus
Helsinki Variations (2019)
for orchestra
3(III=picc)23(II+ebcl,III=bcl)2-2211-03-hp-str Percussion: I: Finger cymbal, Crotales, Vibraphone (also w/bow & wire brushes), Temple block (medium), Pair of women's shoes (w/heels) tapped against a table (or Claves) II: Bass drum, Cymbal (also w/bow & wire brushes), Tam-tam (also w/super ball stick), Wood block (large), Cowbell (large) III: Crotale (C# in the middle register, also w/bow), Xylophone, Temple block (large, also w/wire brushes), Shell chimes, Vibraslap, Pair of women's shoes (w/heels) tapped against a table (or Castanet machine)
Duration: 11
Prosoidia
Concerto for violin and orchestra (2022-2023)
2(II=picc&afl)2(II+ca+slide whistle)2(II+bcl)2-221(=btrb)0-02-hp-str Percussion (2 players): Bass drum, 2 Cymbals (also w/ bow), Tamtam, Crotales, Vibraphone (w/ motor), Triangle, Temple blocks, Sandpaper blocks, 2 Cowbells, Vibraslap, Slapstick
Duration: 19
Sedecim
(2015-16)
for orchestra
3(I+afl,II+bfl,III=picc).2.3(III=bcl).2(II=cfg)-asax-4.3.3.1-1.2-pf-hp-str Percussion: Bass drum, 2 Cymbals, Tam-tam, 9 Gongs or cymbals, Crotales, Marimba, Vibraphone, Triangle, Temple block, Shell chimes, Ratchet, Sandpaper blocks, Flexatone, 2 Slide whistles, Rainstick, 9 Metal plates, Lion's roar
Duration: 22
Sigla
Harp Concerto (2021-22)
for harp and orchestra
2(II+picc)222-221(=btrb)0-02-pf-str Percussion 1: Bass drum, Cymbal, 5 Gongs (a#, bb, c', e' & f'), Crotales, Vibraphone, Guiro, Bell tree, Shell chimes, Whip, Lion's roar (different beaters including bow, super ball stick and wire brushes) Percussion 2: Snare drum, Cymbal, Tam-tam, Triangle (small/medium), 2 Cow bells, 2 Temple blocks (medium & large), Vibraslap (different beaters including bow, wire brushes and super ball stick) Trumpets and Bass trombone doubling an egg slicer attached to a piece of wood or a flat cardboard box. Piano equipped with plectrum, wire brushes and 2 soft percussion beaters
Duration: 19
Soie
for flute and orchestra (2008-2009)
flute and orchesra
3(III=picc)23(III=bcl)2-2211-02-pf-hp-str Percussion: Bass drum, 2 suspended cymbals, Splash/Chinese cymbal, Tam-tam, Crotales, Vibraphone, Triangle, Cowbell, Guiro, Sandpaper blocks, Vibraslap, Lion's roar
Duration: 20
Susurrus
for guitar and orchestra (2016)
2(II+afl+picc)22(II=bcl)2-2200-01-str Percussion: Snare drum, Cymbal, Tam-tam, 3 Crotales, 3 Temple blocks, Ratchet, Slide whistle, Vibraslap, Lion's roar, Plastic ruler, Ukulele
Duration: 15
Uniin asti
(2017)
for male choir and orchestra
3(II+afl,III=picc)2(II=ca)3(III=bcl)2(II=cfg)-422(II=btrb)0-03-pf-hp-str Percussion: Bass Drum, Cymbals a2, Suspended Cymbal, Tam-tam, Gong, Crotales, Marimba, Xylophone, Triangle, 2 Temple Blocks, Guiro, Ratchet, Lion's Roar, Slide Whistle, 2 Vibraslaps, Sandpaper Blocks, Rain Stick, 2 Party Horns (low & high sound), Slapstick
Duration: 17
Verdigris
(2015)
for chamber orchestra
2(II=picc)2(II+ca)2(II=bcl)2(II=cfg)-2200-1(+crot)0-str
Duration: 11
Zeng
for recorder, percussion and strings (2019)
sopranino & alto recorder, perc, str quintet/str orch Percussion (1 player): 2 Timpani, Suspended cymbal, Crotales, Triangle, Castanets, Whip, Guiro, Ratchet, Vibraslap, Slide whistle, Drinking glass with straw
Duration: 13
Jong (Music for Juggler and Chamber Orchestra)
Lapland Chamber Orchestra/John Storgårds, Sakari Männistö, juggler
Video clip 1 (YouTube)
Video clip 2 (You Tube)
Watch Lotta Wennäkoski who tells about Jong (in Swedish)
Soie for flute and chamber orchestr
http://www.lottawennakoski.com/8
Amor Omnia Suite, for orchestra
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Dima Slobodeniouk (Ondine ODE-1259-2)