The international career of cellist Arto Noras was launched at the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1966. His younger colleague, pianist Ossi Tanner was brought to public attention after winning the Tampere Piano Competition in 2017, before which he had already performed as a soloist with our major orchestras.

Noras has performed as a soloist all over the world. He is the founder of the Naantali Music Festival, and served as its artistic director from 1980 to 2022. His close collaboration with Krzysztof Penderecki and Aulis Sallinen has resulted in brilliant concerts and acclaimed recordings. Noras had a long career as a professor at the Sibelius Academy and continues to serve on the juries of many international cello competitions – often as chairman.

Ossi Tanner, 26, a student at the Manhattan School of Music, is enjoying an exceptionally strong career. He has performed with some of the most important conductors of our time, including Sakari Oramo, Joshua Weilerstein, Eiji Oue and Klaus Mäkelä, served as the Lahti Symphony’s Artist-in-Residence in 2018 and as Artistic Director of the Helsinki Chamber Orchestra since 2021, together with violinist Abel Puustinen and clarinettist Klaara Vasara.

Apart from musicianship in general, Arto Nora and Ossi Tanner share the passion for chamber music. More than fifty years of age difference disappears when the colleagues settle down to French music in a Helsinki Seriös concert. The result is a unique combination of experience and talent. They are joined by violinist Tami Pohjola and violist Atte Kilpeläinen in the Saint-Saëns Piano Quartet, which concludes the concert.