FinnFest USA 2015
Fall 2015
Finn-spiration: Celebrating 150 years of Sibelius and 75 years of music at Kleinhans Music Hall
CAI was honored to be able to partner with the BPO and other leaders in Buffalo's cultural community to make FinnFest USA 2015 a success.
FinnFest USA 2015 was held in Buffalo, NY, so participants could experience the thrill of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius’s symphonies performed by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in the restored splendor of Kleinhans Music Hall, designed by Finnish architects Eliel and Eero Saarinen
The BPO held a series of concerts, including the US premiers of works by CAI Artists-in-Residence Sebastian Fagerlund and Jaakko Kuusisto.
Guests could also enjoy the film and video work of Eija-Liisa Ahtila, one of Finland’s most important contemporary artists, and explore the influence of Sibelius’s music on Western New York watercolorist Charles Burchfield.
FinnFest USA is an annual, national festival celebrating Finnish-American and Finnish culture and heritage. FinnFest USA is organized in a different city each year and attracts visitors from all over the United States and Canada, as well as from Finland and other countries. The lively and diverse festival includes cultural, educational and business components, and welcomes all to participate – young and old; academics, businesspeople, educators and the general public; Finnish-Americans and people of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
CAI Pilot Projects
The Creative Arts Initiative will present a few pilot projects in 2015-16 while artist proposals for 2016-17 are being submitted and reviewed. These projects were suggested by CAI Co-Directors and partners in the Buffalo Arts Community.