Pulkkinen, Risto
Biography
Born: July 26, 1954
Country: Sievi, Finland
Studies: Sibelius Academy, Helsinki (1983)
Teachers:
Website: http://www.ristopulkkinen.com/
Education
- Music school of Central Ostrobothnia, teacher Kauko Laukkonen
- Sibelius Academy from 1973 to 1976, master's degree in percussion
- Royal Northern College of Music Manchester England, teachers Ian Wright and Heather Corbert
- Other teachers Rainer Kuisma, Michael Rosen (USA) and John Blade (England)
- First to graduate as diploma percussionist from the Sibelius Academy in 1983
Career
- Pori symphony orchestra, Principal percussionist from 1977-1979
- Turku philharmonic orchestra, Associate Principal percussionist from 1979 till present
- Teacher in Pori music school, Turku conservatory and Turku Arts Academy up till 2008, a considerable amount of former students play in various professional orchestras
- Performed as soloist and in chamber/solo concerts with Pori Sinfonietta, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, Turku Ensemble, Chamber Orchestra Dux, youth orchestra Vivo, music summer camps
- Played on more than 20 recordings
Kroustikon
- Risto Pulkkinen is the founder and conductor of Kroustikon, a percussion group that has been active for over 20 years
- Performs contemporary Finnish percussion music and has premiered several works
- Performed at the Viitasaari Musiikin aika -festival in 1998 and was invited the same year to play at the biggest percussion festival in the world, Pasic 98 (Orlando, USA)
- Piano concerto No. 7 by Mikko Heiniö was premiered and played 12 times in collaboration with dance theater ERI in 2001
- Khora was reperformed in a concert held together with the percussion group Kroumata in 2002 and at the Musicanova festival in Helsinki in 2003. At the Turku music festival it was performed in a concert that also showcased Tan Dun's Snow in June, Concerto for Cello and Percussion
- The CD Sigyn-Percussion was released in 1999
Compositions
- Includes methods, solo pieces, chamber music and orchestral works
- Stylistically mainly based on pulsative harmony and strong melody
- Currently focused on composing large-scale works for orchestra
- Most of the works (at present over one hundred) have been premiered and often played in concerts in Finland and abroad
Works for Percussion
Aurora, op.16 - Vibraphone/Marimba; Piano
Blizzard, op.9 - Percussion Quintet
Chimes, op.4 - Percussion Quintet
Chistian's Lullaby and Nicholas's Lullaby - Vibraphone
Collection - Percussion Duo; Mallets
Fuga for Marimba in C Major, op.2, n.3 - Marimba
Fuga for Marimba in D Minor, op.2 - Marimba
Introduction and Allegro, op.12 - Vibraphone; Harp
Invention for Marimba in G Minor, op.2, n.2 - Marimba
Mignon, op.1 - Marimba
Orion, op.11 - Percussion Quintet
Snarery, op. 24 - Snare Drum
SΣkkijΣrven Polkka, op.17 - Marimba Ensemble; Percussion Quintet; Mallets
Twelve Concert Etudes, op. 20 - Vibraphone/Marimba; Piano
Two Dialogues for Two Marimbas, op.21 - Percussion Duo; Marimba Duo
Variety, op.5 - Percussion Quintet
References