Kuhmo Chamber Music 2027

Kuhmo Chamber Music is the biggest and oldest chamber music festival in Finland - over 60 concerts in 14 days, over 350 compositions in the concerts, and over 120 international artists on the stage. 

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Kuhmo Chamber Music will celebrate its 57th edition in the summer of 2027. The festival theme is Revolution – (R)evolution – (Re)volution. Overthrowing power can mean rebellion or renewal, the courage to follow one's own path or the determination to stand still against the current. It can be an open challenge to the norms that surround us. At its best, revolution compels us to ask: What transformation are we living through right now? What is disappearing from the world, and what is emerging in its place?

Revolution is often understood as a political upheaval in which power changes hands and old structures collapse. In Kuhmo, the perspective is broader. We explore revolutions in music and the arts, but also turning points in society: moments when established practices and ways of thinking give way to something new. Through music, the festival will give voice to themes such as the climate crisis, the liberation of contraception, political agitation, the struggle against racism, and women's suffrage.

The international term revolution derives from the Late Latin verb revolvere, meaning “to roll back” or “to return.” The idea resonates strongly with the history of music: some of the most profound artistic innovations emerge through a return to the past and its reinterpretation in a new light. Revolution, therefore, does not always mean breaking away from history. Sometimes it means listening to it anew.

Approximately 125 artists will perform at the festival in summer 2027. The season's roster includes pianists Silke Avenhaus, Emil Holmström, Hyung-ki Joo, Natacha Kudritskaya, Dirk Mommertz, and Iiro Rantala; violinists Priya Mitchell, Daniel Rowland, Daniel Sepec, Sini Simonen, and Cecilia Zilliacus; violists Lilli Maijala and Yuval Gotlibovich; cellists Kati Raitinen and Senja Rummukainen; double bassist Olivier Thiery; guitarist Marzi Nyman; baritone Thomas Florio; Trio E.T.A., Trio Paddington, the Quiroga, Vertavo, and Meta4 string quartets; the Felipe Salles Jazz Quartet; the Joensuu City Orchestra; and Red Nose Company.

The full programme will be finalised by early December. Groups may already begin reserving the concerts presented here, with further details to be provided in December. The official programme launch will take place in January 2027.