« One Bach Suite a day, keeps the doctor away... » What a joy to see so many people gathering for six days at 12:00 for our Bach cycle in Oodi! A moment when the time stops for a short while in the middle of the day, in the middle of the city's activities, a moment for contemplation.
We are extremely thankful for all the visitors who came to attend this first edition of the festival in a big number and who gave evidence of the meaning of such an event. About seven thousand people over the week in total, including the Finnish community but also people coming from Australia, the United States, China, Russia, etc…
A huge thank you also to our sponsors for their interest and support to our dream, who made this first edition of Festival possible.
We are grateful as well for all the performing artists who contributed to the versatility of the festival, bringing their own specificity, building new bridges and exploring new ways together.
Thanks to all of this, the festival’s week feels like we lived several weeks in one, by thinking how diverse and rich it was!
The next CelloFest.fi will be held in MARCH 2021.
See you then!
CelloFest, the first ever International Cello Festival in Finland took place in Helsinki, from 1st to 7th of February 2019.
Check our page to see what occured!
The festival is developed by Martti Rousi – a cello professor at the Sibelius Academy – and the French cellist Laura Martin, in collaboration with the Sibelius Academy.
“Cello is the most beloved solo instrument among music lovers, this has been confirmed by many opinion polls. From Pablo Casals, Rostropovich to Yo-Yo Ma, cellists have been able to communicate with a wider range of audiences than any other instrumentalists.”
Martti Rousi
The level of expertise and skill among Finnish cellists has always been high, and as a testament to that many of our young talents, today are among the best in the world.
Töölönlahti-area – located on the north side of the Helsinki city center – has slowly been growing into a new hub for arts and culture in the Finnish capital. Here you can enjoy the offerings of a wide range of cultural venues and organizations, such as the Sibelius Academy and the Helsinki Music Center, the Finnish National Opera, Kiasma, AmosRex and many more. The most recent addition to this area is the city’s new central library Oodi. Space exudes energy and has an immediate air of creativity. This inspired us to create and organize a festival that would utilize the Töölönlahti-area in featuring and introducing the great new generation of Finnish cellists and young talented students of the Sibelius Academy as well as welcome renowned and talented cellists from all over the world to join us in being a part of this unique atmosphere.
CelloFest offers a versatile program of events around the cello. From matinées (Bach Cello Suites) and masterclasses to lectures and concerts focused on different topics, the festival offers several concerts and musical activities to audiences every day.
We are pleased to announce the additional support of BNP Paribas to Cellofest.fi 2019!
