Greeting from Esa-Pekka Salonen
Dear (fellow) Horn Players!
It is with a great joy I welcome you to the 22nd Nordic Horn Seminar in Rovaniemi, Arctic Circle, Finland. As I’m typing these words, I’m overwhelmed by many distant but very happy memories from the early Horn Seminars I was attending as an aspiring hornist. I’m reliving the amazing concerts and masterclasses by luminaries of the past: Vitaly Bujanovsky, Barry Tuckwell, Alan Civil, Peter Damm, Frøydis Ree Wekre, Ib Lanzky-Otto and many more. Back then I had no idea that one day I would be working with these great musicians in a different capacity, as a conductor. Sometimes life gives us precious and surprising gifts.
Many of my fellow students from those years became members of professional orchestras around the globe. It has been a constant source of joy to meet many of them years later and connect immediately, to share a beer or two, and reminisce about those productive and fun filled days and nights.
I speak from experience when I say that the bond between horn players is stronger than any other instruments. It’s difficult to analyse why that might be the case; perhaps it’s the knowledge of the difficulty of mastering our noble instrument, a sense of risk. Or maybe it is simply the overwhelming beauty and power of the sound of a great horn section, still unmatched in the world of music. In half an hour I’m about to conduct Beethoven’s Eroica with the San Francisco Symphony – a case in point!
I wish you a stimulating and enjoyable stay in Rovaniemi. Learn from the teachers and make new friends for life!
San Francisco, June 16, 2023
Warmly
Esa-Pekka Salonen
WELCOME TO THE NORDIC HORN SEMINAR 18.-22.6.2023!
I am happy to invite you all to Rovaniemi to the 22nd Nordic seminary! Let us gather around the midsummer bonfire to enjoy some French horn music, the nightless nights and maybe a few mosquitoes…
We have Maria Rubio Navarro (Spain) and Johannes Hinterholzen (Austria) as special guests of the seminar. They hold master classes and perform during the seminar. And of course guests from all Nordic countries will also be present. The artistic theme of the seminar specifically highlights the music and works of female composers, and various horn ensembles. The seminar also celebrates the 50-year-old Finnish Horn Club! Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen is a founding member of the Finnish Horn Club and he is the patron of the seminar. We will hear his horn music production at the seminar concerts.
The well-being of a musician is a strong theme of the seminar. Daily lectures and body maintenance classes provide a package for both mental and physical well-being. Registration for the seminar begins in March. Follow the seminar’s social media channels on Facebook and Instagram.
Best regards,
Tanja Nisonen
22. Nordic Horn Seminar- Host
Turku Philharmonic Orchestra
Art Academy of the Turku University of Applied Sciences
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