Concerts
10.12.2025, 18:00 Angelicum hall, Studium Catholicum (Ritarikatu 3, II floor)
Polar Voices Series – Music of the indigenous peoples of northeastern Siberia and new music inspired by it
Ulita & Asikongaun – CD release concert
Programme
Pia Siirala Ulita's Walk
Asikongaun – 11 Moments
Pia Siirala, viulu | Violin
Ritva Koistinen-Armfelt, kantele | Kantele
Pia Siirala's compositions in the concert are based on the music of the Nivkh and Yupik indigenous peoples, whom she recorded on her field trips to Sakhalin and Chukotka.
Ulita’s Walk is dedicated to the Nivkh Elder Ulita whom Pia Siirala met on a field trips to Sakhalin.
Asikongaun – 11 moments is based on Chukotkan Yupik Elder, Asikongaun’s 11 short songs.
In Ulita’s Walk for violin solo the main theme is Ulita’s song, a “walking theme”, which appears throughout the work. The structure imitates the world view of the Nivkhs, where life is divided into three parts: life on earth, life in the underworld where everything is the opposite. From the depths of the earth a living creature eventually ascends to the third and upper world amongst the spirits and birds, and from there returns back to earth.
Asikongaun – 11 Moments for violin and kantele is based on the Yupik Elder, Asikongaun’s 11 short songs. They are miniatures, almost like invisible single-celled beings in which no sound exists without the sound next to it. The entire song is the motif of the song, whereby everything is said only once, without repetition.
The concert is above are part of Finnish Composers 80 Years Jubilee concert series
SEEKING THE PERSONAL SONG
The theme of the concert is the tradition Personal Song of the indigenous peoples in north-eastern Siberia, where children are given a Personal Song at birth along with their name. Pia Siirala, on her field trips to north-eastern Siberia, met the Koryak Elder Mulingaut and the Chukchi Elder Vukvunga, who each gave her a Personal Song as a gift. The composition is born from the experience of a musician who has grown up in the European tradition of classical music and her reaction when she hears the singing of the arctic nomadic reindeer herder. It begins under the strong influence of the two reindeer herder Elders, Mulingaut and Vukvunga who were born and who lived in the Tundra. The impressions in the two first movements emerge through the imitation of the elements heard in their songs and the atmosphere, that caught my attention with the associations created by their songs.
Thursday 2.10.2025 at 18:00 Raippaluoto Church, Korsholm, Finland
Saturday 23.8.2025 at 15:00 Hallan talo, Seurasaari, Helsinki
Listen the recording here:
Saturday 26.7.2025 at 15:00 Enonkoski Church, Finland – KOSKIFEST
Sound answers Voice is inspired by the Personal Song tradition of the indigenous Chukchi in northeastern Siberia. In the composition, playing enters into a dialogue with the soundscape of the nomadic reindeer herders’ singing, drumming and the sounds of nature.
Pia Siirala, Violin
Robert de Godzinsky & Pia Siirala, Soundscape
Once upon a time on a wintery day in March the reindeer herder, Tingaan, decides to take a nap. He begins to sing a lullaby to himself, and when he falls asleep the reality slides into a dream. In the dream Tingaan meets different people who appear to him in songs and sounds. He continues his journey until he arrives at the Young reindeer celebration, where all the people who visited him in the dream have gathered to sing. Finally, the host of the yaranga sings them a lullaby and they all fall asleep.
Polar Voices – Musical Encounters with the Songs of the Indigenous Peoples of the northeastern Siberia
Friday 15.9.2023 at 19:00 Temppeliaukio Church Helsinki, Finland
Ensemble XXI Kosovo Conductor Lygia O’Riordan
Programme
Pia Siirala: Ulita’s Walk
Dmitri Shostakovich: Chamber Symphony
Pia Siirala: Polar Voices
Pia Siirala’s compositions for string orchestra, Polar Voices and Ulita’s Walk, are inspired by the songs of northeastern Siberian Chukchi, Koryak and Nivkh indigenous peoples. Ulita’s Walk will be given its world premiere during this concert.
This is the first time that an orchestra from Kosovo will appear in Finland. The Kone Foundation is supporting this concert.
14.9.2023, 18:00 Pukkila Church, Pukkila, Finland
Ensemble XXI Kosovo
Conductor
Lygia O’Riordan
Programme
Pia Siirala: Ulita’s Walk
Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony
Pia Siirala: Polar Voices
8.9.2023, 19:00 "Prenk Jakova" School of music, Gjakova. Kosovo / "Prenk Jakova" Shkolla e muzikes
9.9.2023, 19:30 The National library of Kosova "Pjeter Bgdani", Prishtina, Kosovo / Biblioteka Kombetare e Kosoves
Ensemble XXI Kosovo
Conductor / Dirigjente
Lygia O’Riordan
Programme / Programi
Dmitri Shostakovich: Chamber Symphony /Simfoni për harqe
Pia Siirala: Polar Voices / “Zerat Polar”
Pia Siirala’s compositions for string orchestra, Polar Voices and Ulita’s Walk, are inspired by the songs of the indigenous people of north¬eastern Siberia.
Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony is composed in memory of the Victims of War.
Kompozimet e Pia Siirala per orkestër kamerale, “Zerat Polar” dhe, “Shtegëtimi i Ulitës” janë
inspiruar nga këngët vendase të popullit të Siberisë Veri-Lindore.
Simfonia Harkore nga Shostakovich u kompozua në përkujtim të viktimave të luftës.
KOSOVO KAMERFEST
1.12.2022, 19:000 Modellarium Hall, University of Prishtina, Kosovo
Ensemble XXI Kosovo
Conductor / Dirigjente
Lygia O’Riordan
Programme / Programi
Pia Siirala: Ulita’s Walk / “Shtegetimi i Ulites”
Pia Siirala: Polar Voices / “Zerat Polar”
