It is one of the world’s major musicians of the accordion: Mika Väyrynen takes the stage in Cistermúsica 2011 for a solo recital at D. Afonso VI Cloister and one day later conducts a Masterclass at Alcobaça Music Academy
In one of the rare appearances in the history of Cistermúsica, the Alcobaça Music Festival welcomes next day July 23, Saturday, at 21:30p.m., an accordion concert by one of the most respected and renowned artists of such instrument, Mika Väyrynen. The show will be held in D. Afonso VI Cloister at the Monastery of Santa Maria de Alcobaça, a venue where the Finn will perform works by Bach, Couperin, Sallinen and Angelis, as also a world premiere piece composed by Karl Rydman and dedicated to the musician himself, entitled “Un Moment Amoureuse”. The presence of Väyrynen at the Festival will still be highlighted, a day later, on July 24, at 10:30a.m., by conducting a Accordion Masterclass at Alcobaça Academy Music, an initiative introduced by the Formation section and it’s a unique opportunity for music students from all over the country to take contact with one of the most important artists at a planetary scale of this instrument.
Mika Väyrynen (b. 1967) is one of the most well known and respected accordion artists in the world today. He started his performance career by giving his debut recital in 1985, when was just 17 years old. Since then, he has concertized all over the world, including most of the European countries, all Nordic countries, Japan, Russia, USA and China. He has performed as soloist of practically every major Finnish Orchestra, as well as the Estonian State Philharmonic Orchestra, the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and the Copenhagen Philharmonic. Conductors with whom he has performed are renowned Maestros including Okko Kamu, Sakari Oramo, John Storgårds, Ralf Gothoni, Juha Nikkola, Olari Elts, Vello Pähn, Atso Almila, Andres Mustonen and many others.
Mika Väyrynen is regularly seen in major music festivals including at the Pablo Casals Festival in Prades, France (as the first accordionist in the history of that festival), at the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival (where he was given special honor to of performing a solo recital in 2005), at the Naantali Music Festival, the Loviisa Sibelius Festival and the Tuusulalake Chamber Music Festival. He has performed at almost every important accordion festival in world, has taught in several accordion summer schools and seminar as well as adjudicator in most important accordion competitions.
