Jun 13, 2011
Acclaimed mystery writer, Leena Lehtolainen visited our Book Club on Monday, June 13. The club discussed her novel Väärän jäljillä.
Afterwards a small dinner party was held at a nearby French bistro. Book club members discussed various topics, including one often featured in her novels: sexual violence against women and cultural differences in reactions to it.
Jun 1, 2011
Last Saturday, Lauri Sallinen, accomplished clarinetist completing his year at the Manhattan School of Music, gave an excellent perfomance at a concert held at the Salmagundi Club. He was accompanied by Bradley Burgess, also from the MSM, on piano. The audience enjoyed the well-selected program, consisting of Carl Maria von Weber’s Gran Duo in three movements, Alban Berg’s 4 stucke – very modern sounding, eerily haunting tunes; and Johannes Brahms’ Sonata No. 1 for clarinet and piano, played with nuanced emotion and impeccable precision.
A lovely, refreshing stop on a beautiful spring afternoon in the city!
May 18, 2011
Mariko, an established Finnish singer with a career of 11 years, visited the Salmagundi club on Wednesday night and proved to be a versatile artist. Over 40 fans turned out to enjoy the evening, which consisted of blues/jazz standards, performed with excellent accompaniment by the Bumblebees.
Mariko has been the lead singer of a hip hop/pop band Kwan since 2000. The band has released 4 albums with sales up to double platinum in Finland. In 2007 she took part and won Dancing With The Stars Finland. In 2008 she released her first solo album, Fabulous Tonight, a 80’s disco influenced popfest. Alongside of music she has been performing in musicals such as Spring Awakening and West Side Story.
Lately she has been in and out of New York working on new songs and falling in love with the City.
Apr 30, 2011
The Madetoja Music High Shool Girls Choir gave an excellent performance at the Finn Church. The girls moved the audience with a great choice of songs and the program ending with the Finlandia hymn. The choir is now off to Chicago where they will give an another performance before heading back to Finland.
Our Annual Meeting 2011 was held at Salmagundi Club on 28th of March. We are happy to announce our new Board of Directors:
Jaana Rehnström, President
Katariina Forsberg, Secretary
Ceridwen Koski, Treasurer
Marko Albrecht
Laura Palotie
Kristina Preussner
Henrik Tala
Kalle Toivio
Thomas Riggs
Also our new wonderful promotional video was premiered and is now viewable in FC’s Youtube channel.
At the reception afterwards, Permanent Representative of Finland to the UN, Ambassador Jarmo Viinanen gave us an interesting view of “Reflections on World Affairs”. The reception was followed by a violin concert with talented young violinist Kukkamari Grondahl and pianist Tatiana Goncharova.
Mar 18, 2011
The last show of Female Artist Club series represented fabulous Heidi Lehmuskumpu & Michael K. Howell. Salmagundi’s bar was packed as Friends of Finland came to see Heidi’s performance. The night was a big success ending with cheering applause.
After six amazing performances of voice talent, we got a great view of Finnish female performers in different genres. Finland Center wants to thank everyone who took part in celebrating our talented female vocalists in NYC and supported our fast growing community. See you soon again!
Mar 9, 2011
It was a great pleasure to enjoy Johanna Telander performing at Finland Center on 3/9, check out the pics from Finland Center’s Facebook page.
Mar 3, 2011
Lovely Sara Nurmi performed at Finland Center on March 3, 2011.
Feb 18, 2011
Emma Larsson, a Swedish jazz singer educated at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, drew a full house at the Salmagundi bar. She performed some old classics as well as some of the tunes from her new album ‘Let it Go’. The respected jazz magazine All About Jazz says it well, “Larsson represents a new class of vocalists who are pushing the limits of jazz vocals to the edge of post bop conventional wisdom into a realm not otherwise traveled.” The third performer in our series of Female Vocal Talent, Emma got the audience’s attention and appreciation. She was accompanied by expert guitarist Shan Kenner.
Feb 18, 2011
Finland Center hosts a new club series of female voice talent and our first event together with the Arctic Circle Meetup Groupwas a huge success! First club evening gathered together a crowded room of Finns to enjoy special Finnish Menu & drinks together. Lovely performer Jaana Kantola was cheered with an encore with loud applauses.
Check out the party photos from Finland Center’s Facebook page. During February and March you will have a chance to see artists, get together and meet new people. Come to practice your Finnish and connect with other Friends of Finland!
Feb 16, 2011
Paula Jaakkola and Natasha Kole performed for a standing-room-only crowd at the intimate bar of the Salmagundi Club on Feb 16.
Jan 29, 2011
On January 29, we had the pleasure of hearing Viktoriya Papayani present a varied and interesting program at the Salmagundi Club. As she did at last year’s concert, Ms. Papayani introduced each piece with brief historical background commentary. This informal style is well suited for the intimate atmosphere of the gallery space at the club, which has excellent acoustics (but unfortunately also a squeaky wood floor, which resulted in some murderous glances thrown at latecomers). Ms. Papayani again showed her impeccable skill in the technically demanding Scriabin piece (Piano Sonata #3), as well as her sensitivity in the interpretations of the stark Bach Prelude and Fugue in B minor and Haydn’s joyous Sonata in C major. The program ended in a more modern style with Ligeti’s Etude 4: Fanfares, with its hint of jazz rhythms and Piazzolla’s Tango #1 from the Tango Suite.
Finland Center volunteer Henna Hallstrom (L) and treasurer Helena Niskanen (R) at the bazaar table, with Heli Sirvio of the Finnish Church in the middle.
Nov 27, 2010
The traditional Finnish Christmas Event: bazaar and Kauneimmat joululaulut (the Most Beautiful Christmas Songs) drew approximately 300 Finns and friends of Finland to Greenwich Village on Saturday, Nov. 27. All the Finnish community organizations were represented and everyone enjoyed shopping for Finnish chocolate, liquorice, salmiakki, rye bread, and books for children and adults, as well as many kinds of useful Christmas gift items.
Old friends caught up with news while savoring traditional rice porridge in the church parish hall. Then everyone gathered in the church to watch the children’s Lucia procession, performances by talented local Finnish musicians and to sing favorite Christmas songs from Finland, accompanied by organist (and also FCF Music Director) Kalle Toivio.
Oct 27, 2010
Anna Urrey and Kalle Toivio gave a flute and piano concert on October 27 at the Salmagundi Club. Anna Urrey, who will complete her studies at Manhattan School of Music in the spring, had compiled a program of compositions for flute and piano by internationally known composers as well as the Finnish composer Heino Kaski. She also played several beloved songs by Sibelius, Merikanto and others, arranged by herself for the flute. The concert attracted a roomful of members of the Salmagundi Club as well as Finland Center, and several newcomers.
Sep 29, 2010
Arctic Jungle Fashion Gala on Sept 29 attracted nearly 200 people and was a resounding success! Details and photos to follow, also on the Arctic Jungle Fashion Gala blog.
AJFG accounting
Total revenue 24559.90
SEB contribution for PH 3500.00
FCF revenue 21059.90
Expenses 9598.01
SEB for expenses 1500.00
FCF Net expenses 8098.01
FCF Net revenue 12961.89
FCF share 15% 1944.28
FCF remittance 8098.01
Additional FCF contribution 401.99
SEB+FCF remittance 12000.00
Aug 30, 2010
By Kristina Ann, Arctic Circle Finns of NY
When I recommend to my fellow Finns to join Finland Center as a paid member the first response is always “Why? How does it benefit me?” Well, by becoming a paid member Finland Center is able to keep renting space from The Salmagundi Club and keep arranging events and free concerts. On August 27th Finland Center hosted a ‘Finntastic Jazz Lounge’ as a joint event with Arctic Circle, Finns of NY. The icing on the cake was jazz singer Tuija Komi, who was visiting from Germany.
Watching Tuija perform was an absolute pleasure. She treated us to such gems as ‘Tanssivat Porot’ and ‘I’m Gonna Live ‘Till I Die’ from her CD. Tuija is a very vivacious and personable performer, who really knows how to capture the attention of her audience. She performed for about 30 minutes, and then treated us to an encore. While Tuija was performing, the audience was treated to complimentary platters of cheese, courtesy of Valio. The full service bar not only had Finnish beer, prosecco, and a gracious bartender, but also what might be the cheapest priced wine in Downtown Manhattan! Following her performance Tuija mixed and mingled with the crowd, signing for autographs and posing for pictures. The turnout was good, about fifty people. This was such a fun event, and I’m already looking forward to the next “Finntastic Jazz Lounge”.
Aug 10, 2010
Attorneys Ceridwen Koski and Amanda Goodman, who specialize in immigration to the US, gave a fact-packed lecture at the Salmagundi Club, followed by answers to questions from the audience. For more detailed information on this interesting topic, check our blog.
Later on the same evening, Emma Larsson sang classical jazz tunes by Jobim, Porter, and others from the Great American Songbook, accompanied by Sami Linna on guitar. Both are graduates of the renowned Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. The quiet setting of the Salmagundi parlor made it possible to fully appreciate Emma’s clear voice, Sami’s masterly guitar technique, and the smooth cooperation between the two — something members of the audience commented on afterwards. (“They need to make a CD together!”). For more info, see www.emmalarsson.com and www.myspace.com/samilinna.
Jun 19, 2010
Otto Tolonen is one of the most successful Finnish Classical Guitarists. He has won prizes and awards in international competitions since 1995. His latest achievements include a first prize in the Anders Segovia Competition in Spain, and a third prize in the Tokyo International Competition, in 2008. In 2009, he came in second in the Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition in Ithaca, NY.
This year, Otto is competing again in the same competition, this time held in Austin, Texas. En route to Texas, he stopped over in New York and gave a recital on June 19 at the Salmagundi Club. His repertoire is broad, encompassing both old composers such as John Dowland (1563-1626), Alonso Mudarra (1510-1580), and Dionisio Aguado (1784-1849), and modern ones; at this concert these included Denis Gougeon, Georges Auric, Francis Poulenc, Germaine Tailleferre , Darius Milhaud, Gustave Samazeuilh and Joaquin Turina.
The intimate atmosphere of the Gallery with its wooden floors provided for a perfect setting and excellent acoustics, which allowed the audience to hear also the softests sounds and intriguing harmonies of the compositions. The audience in New York was certainly impressed with the combination of skill and sensitivity which Otto’s playing demonstrated — we are crossing our fingers for him in Texas!
Jun 18, 2010
Finnish author Meritta Koivisto was interviewed by Mirva Lempiainen about her book “The London Lover” and about the writing process. The book has been a success in Finland and its first edition has sold out. It has been translated into several languages, and there is a film script prepared in English. Actor Tuomas Hiltunen read excerpts from it to a small but delighted audience of Finns and others in the Salmagundi Club parlor. One copy in Finnish is available for loan from the library of the New York Finnish Lutheran Congregation at 83 Chistopher St., New York , NY 10014, tel. 646 638 4195, www.finnchurch.org (library card $10)
May 10, 2010
By Lee Alperin
A performance of Oliver Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time was given at the Salmagundi Club in Manhattan, May 9, 2010 under the auspices of Finland Center. This quartet is perhaps the most well known piece of chamber music written in the last half century or so and considered a masterpiece by those deemed knowledgeable to make such judgments. It was composed by the French born Messiaen while in a prisoner of war camp in Germany during the Second World War. Its first performance, given by him and three other French prisoners, took place at the camp for an audience of prisoners and German guards. Such an arresting history could not have hurt the work’s popularity despite its screechy dissonances, intricate patterns of harmonies, and difficulties for a general audience to always follow its musical progression. Somehow, however, the work exudes a certain authority and demands attention throughout. Especially riveting among its eight movements is part five, Praise to the Eternity of Jesus for cello and piano, a heart-felt piece. Part eight for violin and piano, Praise to the Immortality of Jesus, was of comparable strength of feeling.
Many of the sections contain some biblical reference which Messiaen took for his inspiration. The title of the work itself had been taken from a part of the Book of Revelation: That there should be time no longer. It would have been of interest to ask the musicians how much of the religious significance affected their playing, but I didn’t present the query to them. All four young musicians performed this difficult work with relative ease as if they had been performing it all their lives though that would not have been possible. The exemplary artists were Marie Helene Bessesen, clarinet; Alexandrina Boyanova, violin; Elizabeth Means, cello; and Kalle Toivio, piano. I have nothing but praise for their playing. However, some professionalism if not seriousness of purpose suffered during the smiles shared by a couple of the players at various times during the performance.