Monday at Last with Strings

Monday at Last is the concert series where Cecilia Zilliacus and Kati Raitinen invite guest artists to join them in presenting both newer and older music. This time, the Monday guests are cellist Soo-Kyung Hong, violinist Marcus Bäckerud, violist Ami-Louise Johnsson, and Valur Pálsson doubble bass (Soo-Kyung Hong replaces the previously announced Andreas Brantelid.)

South Korean cellist Soo-Kyung Hong is principal cellist of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and a member of the acclaimed Trio con Brio Copenhagen. Here, she appears as soloist in Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations in a version for cello and string quartet – a virtuosic and imaginative work inspired by Mozart’s graceful style.

Also on the programme is Swedish composer Ylva Skog’s The Wheel of Fortune for violin and viola – music inspired by a painting by Edward Burne-Jones, and Häpeä (”Shame”) for solo cello by Finnish composer Pinja Nuñez – variations on Che si può fare by Barbara Strozzi, in which the cellist also recites a poem by the composer. Furthermore, the programme includes a lyrically nuanced and intense sonatina for violin and cello by Swiss-French composer Arthur Honegger, who spent most of his life in France. Finally, the concert features the powerful string quintet by Finnish-Swedish composer Pehr Henrik Nordgren – given extra weight by its two cello parts.