Juho Pohjonen
Sunday, February 25, 2024 – 3:00 PM | This concert is sold out.
Mairs Concert Hall, Macalester College
“…positively electrifying, the ideal blend of poise and passion...the pianist brought virtuosity in spades, flitting through the music with a touch that was steely and bright."
— The Plain Dealer
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Program
GRIEG Ballade in G minor in the Form of Variations on a Norwegian Folk Song, Op. 24
RAVEL Gaspard de la nuit
Intermission
CHOPIN 4 Ballades
Enormously gifted pianist Juho Pohjonen is in high demand throughout Europe, Asia, and North America for both solo and ensemble performances. His modest Finnish demeanor belies his riveting technical command and the unmistakable passion in his music-making.
Juho’s piano studies began in 1989 in Helsinki at the Junior Academy of the Sibelius Academy, from which he earned a Master’s Degree in 2008. That year he also won First Prize at the Nordic Piano Competition in Denmark and in 2009 was selected by Sir Andras Schiff as winner of the Klavier Festival Ruhr Scholarship in Germany. Critical attention came in this country with his sensational opening recital at Music@Menlo’s 2010 Festival, which was recorded for the Music@Menlo Live series ‘Maps and Legends.’ Since then, his discography has grown, particularly in chamber music. His latest CD, released by Sony in 2022, contains Dvořák piano quartets and quintets recorded with Jan Vogler and the Moritzburg Festival. He also shows a special interest in Scandinavian music, including that of Finnish compatriots Esa-Pekka Salonen, Kaija Saariaho, and Jean Sibelius.
In addition to solo and orchestral engagements, Juho is a busy chamber musician and has an ongoing relationship with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Major festival appearances in the US include the Gilmore Keyboard Festival, Marlboro Music Festival; and ChamberFest Cleveland. Recent orchestral highlights include performances of Rachmaninoff’s second Piano Concerto with the Colorado Symphony and performances of Mendelssohn’s concerto for violin, piano and strings with Erin Keefe, Maestro Osmo Vänskä, and the Minnesota Orchestra, and Chopin’s second Piano Concerto with the BBC Philharmonic.
In 2019, Juho launched MyPianist, an AI-based iOS app that provides interactive piano accompaniment to musicians everywhere. Designed and programmed by Pohjonen himself, MyPianist acts as a “virtual pianist” for musicians looking to hone their skills or learn new material, as it "listens" to the musician’s playing and recreates the piano part in real time, matching the timing and nuances of the live performance.
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“…fast-rising Finnish star…the delightfully unassuming but bewitching soloist”
— The Guardian
“His playing is simply extraordinary. This was a night when a good view of the soloist’s hands was worth extra money. It was a performance worth recording of a work worth hearing.”
— The Atlanta Journal Constitution
"Pearly touch, singing tone and sensitivity.... [Pohjonen] demonstrated his elegant musicianship throughout the program."
— The New York Times
“Spontaneous, stylish, and well-paced, he seemed to conjure the notes from thin air, breaking fresh, verdant ground."
— Chicago Classical Review