Finnish composer and conductor Toivo Kuula was a student of Sibelius, and pieces such as the majestic Juhlamarssi (“Festive March”) share the great master’s national flavor while the descriptive folktales of Satukuvia create their own beautifully romantic atmosphere. Kuula’s piano music is notable for its vast array of color and variety of style, from the melancholy Surumarssi (“Funeral March”) from Six Pieces, Op. 26 to the lighthearted Schottis (“Scottish Dance”), while countless Finnish couples have been married to the accompaniment of Kuula’s Haamarssi (“Wedding March”).
Multi prize-winning pianist Adam Johnson was a Scholar and Junior Fellow at The Royal Northern College of Music UK, studying with Martin Roscoe and performing under the baton of Kent Nagano, Martyn Brabbins, and George Hurst, making his Concerto debut aged 15 playing Mozart Piano Concerto No. 15 at the Glinka Accademia, St. Petersburg, conducting from the piano. Unique among the outstanding artists of his generation, Johnson is as equally at home conducting opera as he is fulfilling the role of soloist in concerto repertoire, playing chamber music, or directing his own large-scale compositions.
