Kari Kriikku
Clarinet
“...a physically flamboyant player of Olympian virtuosity…” The New York Times, February 2010
“Afterward, there was a surprised buzz in the auditorium as listeners confessed to loving a sometimes furiously dissonant piece”. As reported in the New Yorker in March 2010 it is not an uncommon occurrence for this consumate artist to bring his audience to its’ feet, even if the repertoire, or Kriikku himself, is being heard for the first time. On this occasion Kari Kriikku had performed Magnus Lindberg’s concerto for his New York Philharmonic debut in Spring 2010 in Carnegie Hall under the baton of Alan Gilbert.
A champion of contemporary music the next work to become an important feature of Kari Kriikku’s repertoire list is Kaija Saariaho’s “D’OM LE VRAI SENS”, of which he gave its’ world premieres throughout the 2010/11 season. These took place with Finnish Radio Symphony and Sakari Oramo, BBC Symphony Orchestra and David Robertson, Swedish Radio Symphony and Orquestra Nacional do Porto, Casa da Musica with John Storgårds, l’Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and Esa-Pekka Salonen at the Présence Festival in Paris, and in Vienna’s Konzerthaus with the Vienna Symphony Radio orchestra and Cornelius Meister.
In 2011/12 season Kari Kriikku further premieres “D’OM LE VRAI SENS” in Germany with the Leipzig Gewandhaus and Vladimir Jurowski, in Norway with Bergen Philharmonic and Juanjo Mena, and at a residency featuring the composer in Brugge’s Concertgebouw. Further concerts include Kriikku’s Hollywood Bowl debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under the baton of Joana Carneiro, Netherlands Philharmonic with Marc Albrecht, Philharmonie Essen with Dima Slobodeniouk, Stavanger Symphony with Christian Vasquez and Lisbon’s Metropol orchestra.
Many of Kriikku’s native composers have written for him and aside from the aforementioned works, Kimmo Hakola’s colourful, mesmerising concerto has notably had fantastic performances under the baton of Semyon Bychkov both with WDR Koln and the orchestra of La Scala, Milan. Magnus Lindberg’s concerto was given a spectacular premiere at London’s 2007 BBC Proms Festival with the BBC Symphony and Bychkov. “Puro” and “Missa” by Jukka Tiensuu have had an equally high level of exposure. A recording of “Missa” with the Helsinki Philharmonic and John Storgårds was released in Spring 2011. The recording of Lindberg’s Clarinet Concerto has received critical acclaim, not least contending as a “finalist” in the 2006 Gramophone Awards. It sits amongst Kriikku’s much-celebrated recordings all on the Ondine label. His disc of works for clarinet by Kimmo Hakola was awarded the prestigious Finnish Janne Prize.
Aside from his significant debut with the New York Philharmonic Kari Kriikku has also recently been soloist with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons, with the Helsinki Philharmonic and John Storgårds, Oslo Philharmonic and Jukka-Pekka Saraste, and Rotterdam Philharmonic with Thomas Sondergard.
Kari Kriikku’s musical inventiveness and fresh attitude towards traditional performance have established for him a fascinating and versatile career, not only as a soloist but also as Artistic Director of Avanti! Chamber Orchestra, all of which in June 2009 was further acknowledged as Kari Kriikku was announced recipient of the prestigious Nordic Council Music Prize.
SEASON 2011/2012
