| Monday 13 July 2026 | 18:00 |
| Niamh McKenna | Flute |
| Sophia Rahman | Piano |
| Trio Brontë | String Trio |
| Tuomas Lehto | Cello |
| Helena Juntunen | Soprano |
| Lauri Sallinen | Clarinet |
| Karelia String Quartet |
- While Clara Schumann was still in nappies, her father decided that his daughter would fulfil his highest ambitions: she was to become an acclaimed soloist and composer. Clara was the apple of her father’s eye, and he gave her every opportunity he could, until, despite his plans, a man appeared in their lives, a man who changed everything: Robert. And the rest is history.
- Fanny Mendelssohn’s musical education was every bit as comprehensive as that of her brother Felix; she too had extensive conversations with Goethe and was ready to take on the world, but that world wasn’t yet ready to give female musicians the chance of a career.
- Corporal punishment was still relatively common during Kaija Saariaho’s childhood in the 1950s. Whenever her father was building up to another fit of rage, Kaija’s mother would tuck her into bed and say: “Stay here and be as quiet as you can”. As a young entrepreneur, Launo Laakkonen, Kaija Saariaho's father, was a workaholic. He worked long hours, sometimes even at the weekend. He only drank rarely, though on some weekends he drank to “calm himself down”. But he could be gentle and encouraging too. Kaija was able to take violin lessons, the family bought a piano at her behest, and she was given a guitar and guitar lessons. Her father doubted whether such a shy girl would be able to survive as a performing artist, but he supported her studies nonetheless.
- Wolfgang Mozart and his sister Nannerl were a product of their father Leopold, a miraculous circus act paraded through the courts of Europe. Their father was convinced of his children’s talents and the righteousness of his own agenda, but at some point he too had to learn to let them go.
Tickets: €33 | 25
