Uusinta Ensemble is a contemporary music group focusing in the newest music, new performances, and renewing our musical culture, true to its name (uusinta (Finnish) = newest; repeat performance; renewal).
Concerts
Villa Hakasalmi
Mioko Yokoyama: Mineralization – album release concert
“The role of the composer is to act as a filter between reality and the listener, transforming real life into something different from what the listener is accustomed to,” summarizes composer Mioko Yokoyama. Uusinta Ensemble is proud to put forth a selection of these transformations with the group’s latest album, to be released in August 2026.
In this album release concert we will hear three of the four works from the CD. the captivating, award-winning Mineralization (2023), the solo work for prepared piano entitled Game of Metal (2017), and There are always flowers (2021), an ensemble piece about hope written during the pandemic. In between the music Uusinta Ensemble’s artistic director Jarkko Hartikainen will discuss with the composer on the works and Mioko’s intriguing techniques, and dwell deeper on art, inspiration and the meaning of music.
We warmly welcome you to join us in celebrating the new album and Mioko’s work!
Mioko Yokoyama: Game of Metal Emil Holmström, piano
Mioko Yokoyama: There are always flowers Anna-Sofia Anttonen, saxophone Maria Puusaari, violin Max Savikangas, viola Pinja Nuñez, cello Emil Holmström, piano
The duration of the concert is approx. 1 h. Conversation will be held bilingually in Finnish and English.
Villa Hakasalmi is barrier-free. Visitors can move around the museum in a wheelchair. An accessible restroom is available, as well as lifts inside and outside the building. Museum staff operate the lift upon request. Wheelchairs are available for loan from the museum.
Mioko Yokoyama (Visit an external site. The link opens in a new tab.)(1989-) is a Japanese-Finnish composer based in Helsinki. Her music is built on clear rhythms and a refined control of timbres, which together create imaginative atmospheres, events, and situations. The sense of fun and playfulness is a central element of her music, because she believes that contemporary music is not difficult, but rather free.
After studying at Tokyo University of the Arts, she obtained her second Master’s degree in composition at Sibelius Academy with top grades, under the guidance of Veli-Matti Puumala.
Mioko Yokoyama’s music has been commissioned by ensembles, musicians, and festivals such as Time of Music, Musica nova Helsinki, Avanti! Summer Sounds, Tampere Biennale (FI), Gaudeamus Muziekweek (NL), Warsaw Autumn (PL), IMPULS Festival für neue Musik Sachsen-Anhalt (DE), Tokyo Bunka Kaikan (JP), and The Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ (NL).
Her piece ‘Mineralization’ won the Teosto Prize 2025 and ‘Talking Metals, Talking Drums’ was selected to the recommendation list of the 69th International Rostrum of Composers in 2023. Currently, she teaches at Sibelius Academy.
Tampere-talo, Pieni sali
Uusinta Ensemble & Ánnámáret: Music from Land Immemorial
“My hope is to bring a little bit of the land to future musicians through this piece.” -Tanya Tagac
Forging a connection with nature, Uusinta Ensemble are joined by Sámi artist Ánnámáret, whose collaboration with Spanish-Finnish composer Jaime Belmonte has produced an amicable collaborative alliance between Western contemporary music and traditional joik, titled Ráidu. Ánnámáret also performs her own solo luohti. Tanya Tagac, a vocal and electronic music creator whose roots are in the Inuit culture of Canada, wrote Sivunittinni originally for throat singing. The premiere work on the programme is by Jouni Hirvelä and is inspired by gagaku, ancient Japanese courtly music that is the oldest known type of orchestral music. The work reflects the static sound of the Sho organ, which may be interpreted as a metaphor for the melding of mind and nature.
Fractals is a hypnotic work by composer Robert Ruohola and video artist Valtteri Alanen, in which music and video fill Turku Art Chapel with ever-changing patterns.
The final concert of the joint project between Uusinta Ensemble and the Sibelius Academy will feature the premiere performances of five new works for 4–6 players by composition students at the Sibelius Academy.
Tatu Piitulainen: Ruska (wp.) Simone Peroni: String Quartet No. 1 (wp.) Arman Abolghasemi: Three Divertimentos (wp.) Nuutti Huhtilainen: After Dark (wp.) Shenran Wang: Surge (wp.)
One composer, three soloists, six musicians. In Olli Koskelin’s fourth composition concert, six works will be performed, four of which are premieres. Uusinta String Quartet will give the world premiere of Koskelin’s new string quartet and join pianist Heini Kärkkäinen and clarinetist Gleb Kanasevich for the world premiere of a new sextet, Haiku 13.
Olli Koskelin: Jacquard for viola (wp.) Olli Koskelin: Animal II for bass clarinet (Finnish premiere) Olli Koskelin: Music for String Quartet II (wp.) Olli Koskelin: Discussions with… for piano (wp.) Olli Koskelin: 13 haiku for clarinet, piano and strings (wp.) Olli Koskelin: Exalté for clarinet
Just how accomplished and imaginative the Uusinta players are became evident in the evening’s first offering – – performing with ample gravity and dignity [and] playful ease.
Steve Smith, The New York Times
“Uusinta is like one of those Finnish horses”.
Composer Benjamin Schweitzer at a panel discussion
[Uusinta Ensemble] was calm and rough, sensitive and fast-stricking, and it’s playing intuitively synchronised with accuracy.
