Sibelius Piano Trio: Samuli Peltonen, Petteri Iivonen, Juho Pohjonen

The eminent music critic Neville Cohn reviews the Trio’s debut album in NewOZartsreview.

…this intriguing compilation encompasses music written by contemporary Finnish composers whose names could well be new to most listeners living beyond the borders of Scandinavia.

Diego Schissi’s Nene… opens with a terrific, offbeat dance. It radiates gusto, with tricky rhythms and much pizzicato.  Listen to a background of quiet pizzicato across which runs a dream-like cello line. Later, the attention is drawn to the piano with its stab-like utterances….

David Lefkowitz’s Ruminations calls up images of Middle East dances and what might be a folksy Yiddish extemporisation, desperately melancholy and introverted….

Recordings like this don’t just happen. And those who have pooled their resources to this excellent end deserve real praise. The focused work of many has been called upon to bring this CD into being: executive producer Ann Mulally, 100th Anniversary sponsors Randy and Linda Bellous and, crucially, the Sibelius Trio (Petteri Iivonen, Juho Pohjonen and Samuli Peltonen). This initiative is to mark the 100th anniversary of an independent Finland.

Please read the full Sibelius Piano Trio review.

Thank you Mr. Cohn!

And thank you Petteri, Juho and Samuli for playing so beautifully.  The Samueli Theater at Segerstrom Center for the Arts is still ringing with the beauty of your music where you gave these premiers and recorded your album.  Ann, Randy, Linda and the rest of us at Yarlung Records are so proud of your accomplishment.

–Bob Attiyeh, producer

Here are some album snippets.