Olli Leppäniemi – clarinet
Juho Pohjonen – piano
Olli Leppäniemi is one of the leading clarinetists of our time. His international soloist career was launched after winning the 1st Prize in the 2009 Carl Nielsen Clarinet Competition in Denmark. Leppäniemi is also considered one of the finest and most established orchestral clarinetists of his generation, having held three principal clarinet positions by the age of 29. Leppäniemi works as Principal Clarinetist in the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, DR. Previously he has held Principal Clarinet positions both in Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in Norway and in Lahti Symphony Orchestra in Finland. He has also been a member of the Oulu Symphony Orchestra where he held principal e-flat clarinet position. Leppäniemi has appeared as a guest principal clarinet e.g. in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra in London, Oslo Philharmonic, Norwegian National Opera and Finnish National Opera among others.
In 2009 Leppäniemi was the first Finnish musician ever to have won the first prize in the prestigious international Carl Nielsen – competition. He also received two special awards in the competition; the best interpretation of Danish music, and the Odense Symphony Orchestra prize. In addition to the Nielsen competition Leppäniemi has been a prize winner in the international Prague Spring – clarinet competition, in the international Verdi Note – competition in Italy, as well as the Lahti National wind instrument competition in Finland.
One of the brightest young instrumental talents to emerge from Finland today, Juho Pohjonen has attracted great attention as one of the Nordic countries’ most intriguing and talented pianists. Season highlights for 2013-14 include performances with The Philharmonia Orchestra and Nicholas Collon, and debuts with Bamburger Symphonkier and Tonhalle Orchestra, Zürich under Lionel Bringuier. Juho will also make his debut at Ravinia Festival, Chicago and Chopin Festival, Mallorca. The 2012-13 season saw Juho Pohjonen perform Beethoven with The Philharmonia Orchestra and Esa-Pekka Salonen, Mozart with Iceland Symphony Orchestra and Messaien’s Des Canyons aux Etoiles at Carnegie Hall.
Juho Pohjonen was selected by András Schiff as the winner of the 2009 Klavier Festival Ruhr Scholarship. In addition, Juho Pohjonen has won numerous prizes in both Finnish and international competitions, including: First Prize at the 2004 Nordic Piano Competition in Nyborg, Denmark, First Prize at the International Young Artists 2000 Concerto Competition, Stockholm, the Prokofiev Prize at the AXA Dublin International Piano Competition 2003, and was a prize winner at The Helsinki International Maj Lind Piano Competition 2002.
PROGRAM
Mieczyslaw Weinberg (1919–1996): Sonata for clarinet and piano op. 28
Robert Schumann (1810–1856): Fantasiestücke, op. 73
George Gershwin (1898–1937): Three Preludes
Johannes Brahms (1833–1897): Sonata for clarinet and piano in F minor No 1 op. 120