Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Multi-instrumentalists Johanna Juhola and Pekka Kuusisto are natural born performance artists.
Lauri Otonkoski, Helsingin Sanomat (newspaper) 20.1.2007 (Tapiola Sinfonietta’s Symphonic Fantasies in Tapiola Hall) - The newspaper Helsingin Sanomat
Sometimes so-called super ensembles just don’t work. Kraft, on the other hand, proved late last Saturday night that at its best, the collaboration of two extremely talented musicians can be very fruitful. Even though the Juhola-Kuusisto duo has an enormous amount of skill, their music did not at any point slip into mere demonstration of technical ability. Kuusisto mentioned during the gig that the hardest thing with the pieces was to make up smart names for them. Listening to Kraft made me think it must be true: so easy did playing seem for both Kuusisto and Juhola. The audience could feel the warmth and joy on stage.
Iikka Taavitsainen, Keskisuomalainen 17.7.2006 (Kraft concert at
Jyväskylä Summer Festival)
- The Newspaper Keskisuomalainen
Pekka Kuusisto can do anything, and when a violin is not enough, he will sing and whistle too. With Johanna Juhola as an equally nimble partner, the music at its best has surprises and the joy of spontaneous invention.
Juhani Koivisto, Kainuun Sanomat, 19.7.2006 (Kraft in Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival) - The Newspaper Kainuun Sanomat
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
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Bio
Pekka Kuusisto is one of the most versatile and distinctive musicians working today. Always demonstrating his extraordinary individuality and imagination, Pekka is unusually free and fluid in his approach and has been acclaimed for the spontaneity and freshness in his playing.
Pekka is increasingly seen directing ensembles from the violin. “It’s about being a chamber musician, just like the other players. It’s the best way of ensuring there’s good communication between everyone on stage. When I direct, I get feedback straight from the musicians and develop individual relationships with them”.
Setting Pekka apart from most other violinists of his generation is his desire and ability to improvise and his love of playing many different styles of music, channelling the same intensity into each genre. “Playing folk, jazz, electronic music and improvising as well as classical music has really given me the relationship I have with my violin. It has taught me that a fiddle is not something to control – if you want to play in a free way you have to feel free and most folk musicians I know would agree. They couldn’t play the Sibelius Concerto to save their lives, but they are some of the happiest musicians I know.”
Johanna Juhola has studied accordion in the folk music department of the Sibelius Academy since 1997. She loves tango nuevo and other passionate music genres and especially their fusions, as well as combining music with other kinds of performing arts.
Juhola has composed music for several dance, theater and circus performances for the Swedish Theater in Helsinki, for Zodiak - the center for new dance, for Circus group Circo Aereo, for Theater of Keski-Uusimaa, and for many project-based working groups.
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