Engegård Quartet & Olli Mustonen

Doors Open 17:30

Concert: 18:00

Finnish pianist, composer, and conductor Olli Mustonen joins forces with Norway’s Engegård String Quartet, one of Scandinavia’s most vibrant chamber ensembles. Mustonen, renowned for his visionary interpretations and strikingly original compositions, shares with the Engegård Quartet a deep curiosity for musical dialogue that bridges tradition and innovation. Their collaboration, built over years of performances together, reflects a shared Nordic spirit — luminous, intense, and deeply expressive — bringing a rare unity of passion and precision to every encounter.

Artists:

Engegård Quartet:

Arvid Engegård, violin

Amanda Håøy Horn, violin

Juliet Jopling, viola

Jan Clemens Carlsen, cello

Olli Mustonen, piano

Program:

J. Brahms, 2nd String Quartet

Allegro non troppo

Andante moderato

Quasi Minuetto, moderato

Finale. Allegro non assai

Brahms’s Second String Quartet (1873) reveals the composer’s mastery of warmth and intricacy. After years of self-critical struggle with the legacy of Beethoven, Brahms found his voice in this richly woven work, balancing classical discipline with expressive depth. The quartet sings with Hungarian inflections, lyrical tenderness, and rhythmic vitality. Beneath its graceful surface lies a sense of introspection and resolve — a portrait of Brahms the romantic craftsman, melding passion and structure into seamless unity.

Olli Mustonen, Piano Quintet

I Drammatico e passionato

II Quasi una passacaglia (Andantino)

III Finale (Misterioso)

Olli Mustonen’s Piano Quintet (2014) unfolds with an arresting blend of stark drama and luminous lyricism. Rooted in the Finnish composer’s distinctive voice — where classical form meets raw, elemental energy — the music shifts between meditative stillness and volcanic intensity. Echoes of Bach’s counterpoint, Russian melancholy, and Nordic folk rhythms intertwine, creating a sound world that feels both ancient and modern. It is a deeply personal work, haunted by spiritual reflection and an uncompromising emotional drive.