“Afterward, there was a surprised buzz in the auditorium as listeners confessed to loving a sometimes furiously dissonant piece” wrote the “New Yorker ” in March 2010 in its review of the performance of the clarinettist who on that occasion played Magnus Lindberg’s concerto for the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Alan Gilbert. Another important work in the soloist’s repertoire is Kaija Saariaho’s D’OM LE VRAI SENS, the world premiere of which Kari Kriikku presented throughout the 2010/11 season with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sakari Oramo, the BBC Symphony Orchestra with David Robertson, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Orquestra Nacional do Porto, Casa da Música with John Storgårds, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France with Esa-Pekka Salonen at the Présence Festival in Paris, and the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Cornelius Meister in Vienna’s Konzerthaus. During the 2011/12 season Saariaho’s work had its first performances in Germany with the Leipzig Gewandhaus and Vladimir Jurowski, in Norway with the Bergen Philharmonic and Juanjo Mena, and in Belgium at a residency featuring the composer in Bruges’ Concertgebouw. Further planned concerts include Kriikku’s Hollywood Bowl debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under the baton of Joana Carneiro, the Netherlands Philharmonic with Marc Albrecht, Philharmonie Essen with Dima Slobodeniouk, Stavanger Symphony with Christian Vásquez and Lisbon’s Metropol orchestra.
Many Finnish composers have written their works for Kari Kriikku: Kimmo Hakola’s colourful Concerto had an enthusiastic reception during its performances by the WDR orchestra in Cologne and the La Scala orchestra in Milan, while Magnus Lindberg’s Concerto was given a spectacular premiere at London’s 2007 BBC Proms Festival with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Semyon Bychkov.
Puro and
Missa by Jukka Tiensuu have had an equally positive reception. A recording of
Missa with the orchestra of the Helsinki Philharmonic and John Storgårds was released in 2011. The recording of Lindberg’s Clarinet Concerto has received critical acclaim, contending as a “finalist” in the 2006 Gramophone Awards. Kriikku’s disc of works for clarinet by Kimmo Hakola was awarded the prestigious Finnish Janne Prize.
Apart from his debut with the New York Philharmonic Kari Kriikku has also recently been appearing as a 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 is also Artistic Director of Avanti! Chamber Orchestra, and in June 2009 was awarded the prestigious Nordic Council Music Prize.
www.karikriikku.com
