February bustling with Capital of Culture activities

Ticket sales for early 2011 performances have been very active. Some of the theatres have already added extra performances to accommodate for the demand. During February, the Capital of Culture programme offering will include top-notch jazz, a variety of theatrical performances and encounters at the library, for example.

The Flame Jazz Clubs is a series of 20 jazz concerts in Turku. Turku-born jazz musician Jussi Fredriksson will act as the artistic director for the clubs, while the Finnish Jazz Federation will produce the concert series.

Jazz Club Monk will invite top Finnish jazz groups and emerging new artists to give exhilarating performances in an intimate setting. Trio Herd will kick off the Flame club series with a performance at the Marina Palace restaurant. The jazz concert can be enjoyed together with evening meal service. Logomo concerts are set to become major events in the Finnish concert scene. The main concert during the spring will headline Ricky-Tick Big Band, one of the hottest new acts in Finnish jazz, together with Emma Salokoski & Ilmiliekki Quartet.

Busy month full of performances

The 1827 Infernal Musical heavy metal show will dominate the Logomo stage with a few more performances in February. After the heavy metal extravaganza is finished, the Logomo stage will be taken over by middle-aged, everyday Turku residents. A group of over 100 performers will introduce their own interpretation of the musical Hair. The performance is directed by Marja-Leena Kuronen and choreographed by Mikko Ahti.

Absurd History of the Opera is a musical comedy, a stand-up show and an opera concert all in one. The performance premiered in late January and will continue to run at Linnateatteri Theatre during February. The critically well-received “Tähden hetki eli Kevyt kyyneleinen tarina” performance by the Kolmas Tila theatre group will continue at Manilla Theatre.

Turku City Library takes an active role in the Turku 2011 programme

Libraries are a natural setting for many Capital of Culture year events. In addition to the library’s own programme, many Capital of Culture projects work in cooperation with the library. The theme for the spring is “Burning Love”, supporting the Logomo Fire! Fire! exhibition. Fiery exhibitions at the main library are available until the end of February.

The Travelling with Music event series set in the library introduces soundscapes for different cultures once a month. The Have a Book for Lunch reading groups will introduce a new kind of lunch break to Turku. The Nordic Voices storytelling project will organise regular bilingual, dramatic children’s story sessions.

Delightful Turku city neighbourhood miniature travel guides will be launched on Valentine’s Day at the library studio. The guides are part of the Artist as Neighbour project and lead Turku residents to explore the city neighbourhoods with fresh new eyes.