Organized By David Heyes
Frome (51.230065, -2.319182)
Teppo-Fest 2016 is a three day festival to celebrate the 75th birthday of the Finnish genius Teppo Hauta-aho. He has composed more works for double bass than anyone else in the history of the instrument, writing for every level of performer, from beginner to virtuoso and from one to twelve basses, and his music has been performed throughout the world. The festival will include a number of concerts and workshops and everyone is welcome to take part - the more the merrier! The festival will include a wide range of music by Teppo Hauta-aho, alongside music from Britain and the Czech Republic to celebrate his studies with Frantisek Posta in Prague in the 1960s and his friendship with David Heyes, who has promoted, performed and published his music over the past two decades. Teppo-Fest was held at Wells Cathedral School in 2005 to celebrate Teppo's 65th birthday and 2011 to celebrate his 70th birthday, and he has been a welcome guest and visiting teacher a number of times. The weekend will include performances of Teppo's Mini-Bass Symphony for 10 or more basses, alongside other solo and ensemble music from the vast catalogue of works for players of all ages and abilities. TEPPO-FEST 2016 is sponsored by Recital Music. _______________________________________ Friday 13 May 2016 at 7.30pm Concert in Bristol (venue tbc) Saturday 14 May 2016 at 7.30pm Concert at the Silk Mill in Frome (Somerset) Sunday 15 May 2016 Workshop at Wells & Mendip Museum (10.00am-5.00pm) Informal concerts at 12.15pm and 4.15pm Performers include Teppo Hauta-aho (double bass), David Heyes (double bass), Ben Groenevelt (double bass), Sarah Poole (soprano), Eloise Riddell (double bass), James Rintoul (double bass), Derek Harris (piano), _________________________________________ Finnish composer and bassist Teppo Hauta-aho, is the most prolific bass composer of our time and since the 1970s has composed almost 300 works for double bass - spanning the entire range of standards from beginner to virtuoso. Teppo Hauta-aho was born in 1941 and studied double bass with Orvo Hyle and Oiva Nummelin in Finland, and Frantisek Posta in Prague. He played with the Helsinki Philharmonic between 1965 and 1972, and the Finnish Opera Orchestra from 1975 to 2000. He is an active recitalist, both classical and jazz, has given more than 300 recitals with his duo partner, Carita Holmström, and is at the cutting edge of modern improvisation - performing with leading improvisers throughout the world. Finnish composer Harry Wessman writes: "As a composer, Teppo Hauta-aho has always been his own teacher, basing his technical knowledge on his wide practical musicianship as an orchestral player, chamber and jazz musician. It would not be an exaggeration to claim that he was the jazz bassist most in demand in Finland in the 1970s, and a few of his works are pure jazz compositions. But the compositional techniques and musical means used in the majority of his works originate in an unusual openness for any devices. Along with modern techniques, his source of inspiration include all the previous stylistic periods in European music, impulses from Oriental music and, of course, jazz. His own instrument, the double bass, has profited especially from his rich inventiveness in finding new means to conjure forth unusual sounds from the instrument, and in applying them in an artistically meaningful and striking way." Hauta-aho's music has been performed extensively in Finland and abroad, notably in America, Britain, Germany, France, Czech Republic, Soviet Union, Australia and Switzerland. His most famous work Kadenza (1978) has achieved cult-like status, is recognised universally as a 20th-century classic, and is the most performed contemporary work for double bass.