WAM series to continue at Art House Turku, as the Turku Music Festival takes over as event producer

The WAM series of concerts, curated by Olli Hirvonen, has had to be discontinued at the Wäinö Aaltonen Museum because of renovation work. It remained unclear for a considerable time what the fate of this long-standing concert series, dating back more than 30 years, would be.

“I first contacted Olli Hirvonen, who had been curating the series for more than 15 years, and asked him how he would feel about this eminent and well-established concert series being taken over by the Turku Music Festival. I had a discussion with Jere Pensikkala, Managing Director of Art House Turku, about hosting the concert series at his facility; the Festival office relocated there at the beginning of this year. The powers that be in the City of Turku were amenable to the proposal, so here we are. The WAM series will migrate to Art House Turku along with the grand piano from the Wäinö Aaltonen Museum, giving this fine institution a new lease on life. This will diversify the profile of Art House Turku as well, as it is now possible to give concerts here,” says Liisa Ketomäki, Managing Director of the Turku Music Festival.

“We are happy to join the Music Festival in safeguarding a future for this fine concert series. Our main auditorium will be closed for renovation in autumn 2025, so Art House Turku will be able to host the concert series initially for one year. We believe that this will bring new visitors to Art House Turku and demonstrate the flexibility of our premises. We are looking forward to autumn for other reasons too, as we will be opening the Kilta Galleria and the Kino Kilta cinema,” says Jere Pensikkala, Managing Director of Art House Turku.

The first concert in the new WAM series is on Tuesday 10 September at 19.00. The Turku Music Festival invited Turku-based composer Lauri Mäntysaari to curate the series. The concerts in the series have free admission and last about one hour with no interval. There is a concert on the second Tuesday of each month from September to next June, ten concerts in all. The programme for the autumn concerts will be announced by the Turku Music Festival in early August, at which time it will be available on the websites of the Turku Music Festival and Art House Turku.

“It is brilliant to hear that this concert series, which is so important for music in Turku, will survive. I am excited to make my contribution in curating the series. I am particularly familiar with the contemporary music scene and hope to bring less often heard music to join old classics. The focus is on the people performing the music, and I look forward to fruitful collaboration and bold initiatives by musicians in the coming years,” says composer Lauri Mäntysaari.

“The concert series has been influential for an untold number of musicians and music lovers. Thanks for creating the series are due to coordinator Olli Hirvonen, who has been curating the series with professionalism and heart. It is excellent that the concert series continues to be in good hands, bringing new visitors to the rapidly evolving Art House Turku,” says Anu Laitila, Cultural Director of the City of Turku.