Musica nova Helsinki, Finland’s biggest contemporary music festival, is celebrating its 30th anniversary in style. The theme for the 2011 festival is new German music.

The main guests are some of the finest on the contemporary music scene and include musikFabrik and the Arditti Quartet. musikFabrik from Cologne, now on its first visit to Helsinki, is one of the leading German contemporary music ensembles.

A new kind of music theatre and crossover will be a feature of two Finnish premieres. Nothing to Declare and Lelele draw inspiration from topical issues, office work and trafficking in human beings. Produced jointly by composers Lotta Wennäkoski and Perttu Haapanen, photographer Elina Brotherus and choreographer Tomi Paasonen, the works are unique demonstrations of the expressive power of four artists well on their way to international fame. The festival will also present a host of other Finnish and international premieres.

German composers are very much in the limelight at Nova 2011. Also pointing to Germany will be the festival’s film screenings. Thomas Schadt’s urban symphony Berlin – Sinfonie einer Groβstadt will introduce viewers to the many faces of present-day Berlin. The expressionist masterpiece Nosferatu will be given a live accompaniment by the German experimental duo Interzone Perceptible, while the seldom-shown Ludwig van directed by contemporary composer Mauricio Kagel will paint a portrait of one of the world’s most famous composers: Beethoven.

There will also be free events during the festival. During the opening week the Réseau Varèse contemporary music network will discuss the potential for European cultural collaboration with international guests. Details of these and all the other events, talks and meetings with artists will be regularly updated at www.musicanova.fi.

In addition to concerts the festival features talks and meetings with artists, details of which will be regularly posted on this site. The brand new Musica nova Helsinki brochure is now available at libraries, cafés and the organisers’ offices in the Helsinki region, or you can download the brochure, the programme and Johan Tallgren’s foreword in PDF format by clicking on the link on the right.