Pressrelease 30.5.2005

The Second Kotka International Organ Competition

The second Kotka International Organ Competition was held in late April 2005. Kotka is a small harbour town 135 kilometers east of Helsinki, the Finnish capital. From 1998 there is in the Kotka church an organ built by Martti Porthan Organbuilders. Its model is in the Freiberg Cathedral, built in 1714 by one of the most famous organ builder in the whole of organ history, Gottfried Silbermann. The Freiberg organ was Gottfried’s first oeuvre showing a French influence acquired from his brother Andreas Silbermann in Strasbourg. Thus the Freiberg organ - as well as the Kotka organ – is admirably suited not only for 18th century German organ music but also for classical French organ music. The Kotka organ is equipped with three manuals, pedals, and forty-four stops with diapason of 465 Hz. The tuning system is close to equal temperament, which means that playing music from the Romantic period is possible.

Already in 2002 for the first Kotka competition the principal idea was to encourage competitors to freely design recital programmes suitable for the Kotka organ. This means that each competitor is not asked to practise the same works which would then be heard all over again during the competition. There is a preliminary elimination round of recordings with twelve competitors chosen. This means that the nuisance of playing “tourists” common in most organ competitions is avoided. On the other hand, competitors will have lots of practice time on the spot. Unique is the requirement of playing in the final round together with a baroque orchestra and leading it from the organ seat. This highlights another important aspect of a musician’s work and widens the scope of the competition.

This time the competitors had to compose two recital programmes of about one hour each. The first programme was to include French classical organ music and organ music by Johann Sebastian Bach. In addition, German early and late Romantic organ music suitable to the Kotka organ had to be played. In the final round music from at least two of these repertoire groups had to be included. Finalists played also an organ concerto by Handel, one of three alternatives. The orchestra was Finnish “Opus X”. The baroque style orchestra had a diapason of 415 Hz, so the competitors had to transpose their part one step lower than written.

In the elimination by recordings six Finnish and six foreign players were admitted to the competition. The jury consisted of Bine Katrine Bryndorf, Kari Jussila, Jon Laukvik, Davitt Moroney, Jacques van Oortmerssen, and Olli Porthan, chaired by Kati Hämäläinen.

Already the first round showed a high standard of playing. One could easily imagine that the competitors had spent a lot of time and energy in composing their programmes. Surprisingly, no pieces by Francois Couperin were heard, but another great master, Nicolas de Grigny, was well represented. The selection from Bach’s works offered no surprises, even though several players ventured to try out their skills with trio sonatas, which proved to be somewhat tricky on the Kotka organ. Unexpected was also the fact that Felix Mendelssohn was a choice for only two competitors. Other than that, the whole spectrum of German Romantic music was there: August Gottfried Ritter (Second and Third Sonata), Josef Rheinberger (Third and Fourth sonata), Johannes Brahms, Ernst Friedrich Richter, Gustav Merkel, Robert Schumann, and Franz Liszt (Prelude and Fugue BACH, and even Ad nos, ad salutarem undam). During the three days of the first round, many recitals of a high standard were heard, of which the jury picked out six players for the finals.

In the final round it was possible to leave out one of the repertoire groups. However, many competitors had still chosen French Baroque music, which is very delicate to perform. Throughout the competition interpretations of this music were mainly correct, not outstanding. The Handel concertos in the finals were also played well. However, a certain lack of enthusiasm could be detected here and there. On the other hand, the “ad. libitum” passages were improvised in a stylish manner.

The decision of the jury to declare as winner the oldest participant, Dutch Hayo Boerema, was not a surprise. He was already in the first round quite convincing in his command of the instrument and his technique, and his performance in the finals was definitely the most uniform. He was bold enough to stretch the instrument’s means to the limit with Max Reger’s Fantasia op. 135b. The instrument was quite malleable in his expert hands.

Second prize was given to the Finn Olli Pyylampi, an elegant player, whose excellently designed programme in the first round was for good reason rewarded a special prize for the best composition of a recital programme. Third prize went to another Finn, Jukka Aro, whose Grand Dialogue by Marchand was for me the best performance of a French piece in the whole competition. Other competitors in the final round were Susanne Kujala (Germany), Liisa Luukkala (Finland), and Margarita Shablovskaya (Russia).

This year, too, the first-timers as well as the seasoned competitors appreciated the exceptionally good care the organizers take of the competitors. In the crowded world of competitions the Kotka competition features the trumps of originality of the competition program, great amount of practising time, substantial prize money, and looking well after the competitors as well as the jury.

Ville Urponen
President of Organum Society (The Finnish Organ Society)

Pressrelease 28.4.2005

HAYO BOEREMA WON KOTKA ORGAN COMPETITION

The Dutchman Hayo Boerema, born in 1972, won the Kotka International Organ Competition which ended late on Thursday evening.
Boerema won 10.000 E and the opportunity to play a recital at the next Kotka Organ Week in 2006. He is given a concert at the Parainen Organ Concerts Week coming June as well.
Runner-up, the Finn Olli Pyylampi, will be awarded 5.000 E at the closing concert on Friday night. Third prize and 2.500 E is given to his countryman Jukka Aro. 
Additionally Olli Pyylampi gets an Honorary Mention and 700 E from the organ-builder Martti Porthan for best concert-programme and performance. 
Six young organists played for the honours in the finals on Wednesday and Thursday.
The competition prizes will be given on Friday night by bishop Voitto Huotari of Mikkeli Bishopry. After the prize-giving the winners will show their mettle in a short concert.
The Kotka International Organ Competition is arranged by Kotka Town, Kotka Parish and the Sibelius-Academy. The competition-instrument was Kotka Church´s baroque-style organ built by Organbuilders Martti Porthan.
The organ´s disposition, tonal qualities and construction follow the German Freiberg Cathedral´s instrument built by Gottfried Silbermann.
Members of the jury were MusDr Kati Hämäläinen (Chair and Artistic Director of the competition), Bine Katrine Bryndorf (Denmark), Kari Jussila (Finland), Jon Laukvik (Norway), Jacques van Oortmerssen (the Netherlands), Davitt Moroney (England) and Olli Porthan (Finland).

PRESSINFO 25.4.2005

6 FINALISTS CHOSEN IN THE KOTKA ORGAN COMPETITION

The six finalists in the Kotka 2nd International Organ Competition have now been chosen. The jury has on the basis of the first round chosen six competitors for the finals to be played on Wednesday, April 27 and Thursday, April 28 as follows:

Jukka Aro, Finland
Hayo Boerema, the Netherlands
Susanne Kujala, Germany
Liisa Luukkala, Finland 
Olli Pyylampi, Finland
Margarita Shablovskaya, Russia

The winners will be announced on Thursday evening at ca 10 pm.
The Kotka International Organ Competition is arranged jointly by Kotka Town, Kotka Parish and the Sibelius-Academy. The competitors play on Kotka Church´s baroque-style organ built in 1998 by Organbuilders Martti Porthan.
The organ´s disposition, tonal qualities and construction are based on the German Freiberg Dome´s organ built by Gottfried Silbermann.

Members of the competition-jury are MusDr, Ms, Kati Hämäläinen (Chair and Artistic Director of the competition), Ms. Bine Katrine Bryndorf (Denmark), Mr. Kari Jussila (Finland), Mr. Jon Laukvik (Norway), Mr. Jacques van Oortmerssen (the Netherlands), Mr. Davitt Moroney (England) and Olli Porthan (Finland).

PRESSINFO April 20, 2005 

Olli Pyylampi starts the Kotka Organ Competition

Olli Pyylampi, who studies the organ at the Church Music Department of the Sibelius-Academy, plays first in the Kotka 2nd Organ Competition.
Pyylampi´s name was drawn to play first in the ballotting for the competition to start next Saturday, the 23rd of April. Following him in playing-order on Saturday are Jukka Aro (Finland), Nora Grikshtaite (Lithuania), Susanne Kujala (Germany), Esa Toivola (Finland) and Diana Jaunzeme (Latvia). 
The playing-order for those playing on Sunday the 24th are Margarita Shablovskaya (Russia), Liisa Luukkala (Finland) and Marika Oksala (Finland). 
The first round ends on Monday the 25th with Benjamin Righetti (Switzerland), Christian Ahlskog (Finland) and Hayo Boerema (the Netherlands).
The six finalists of the Kotka Competition will be announced on Monday evening. The finals are played in two parts on Wednesday the 27th and Thursday the 28th of April.
The Kotka 2nd International Organ Competition is arranged by Kotka Town, Kotka Parish and the Sibelius-Academy. The competitors play on Kotka Church´s baroque-style organ built in 1998 by the Martti Porthan Organbuilders.
The disposition, sound- and structural characteristics of the instrument are based on the Gottfried Silbermann organ of the German Freiberg Dome.