VASKIEN VOIMALLA PE 24.4.2026 klo 19

Helsingin Työväenopiston Orkesterifestivaalin huipennukseksi Töölö Brass, johtajanaan Elias Seppälä, tuo kuuluville brittiläisen ja suomalaisen vaskimusiikin merkkiteoksia.

Solistina Arda Cabaoglu Virtanen, kornetti.

Ohjelmassa mm. Einojuhani Rautavaaran vaskisarjan "Serenade In Brass" (1982) kokonaisedition ensiesitys Suomessa.

Muita säveltäjiä Eric Ball, Timo Forsström ja Philip Sparke.

Konsertti alkaa Työväenopiston juhlasalissa Helsinginkatu 26 perjantaina 24.4.26 klo 19.

Sinne on vapaa pääsy.

Tervetuloa !

The Voice of Brass: An Interview with Trumpet Artist Arda Cabaoglu Virtanen

Last autumn, Töölö Brass welcomed principal cornetist Arda Cabaoglu Virtanen into the

band. Arda is a trumpeter, educator, scholar, and conceptual performance artist whose work

moves between tradition and experimentation. Arda holds a Doctorate in Music and has

studied at the prestigious Eastman School of Music and the Malmö Academy of Music,

where he was a student of Håkan Hardenberger. Based between Finland and New York City,

he will appear as a soloist in the concert Vaskien voimalla on April 24, 2026, at the closing

concert of the Helsinki Adult Education Centre’s orchestra festival. As the concert

approaches, we spoke with Arda about his musical path, his work, and his experience of

playing with Töölö Brass.

Arda Cabaoglu Virtanen

Let’s start at the beginning. What first drew you to the trumpet, and at what age?

Arda: In the 1990s, my mother took me to a concert where the soloist was Erden Bilgen,

performing a new trumpet concerto. That experience stayed with me very deeply. Years

later, he became my teacher, which makes that memory even more meaningful. I was not

born into a family of musicians, but I did grow up in a home where the arts were taken very

seriously. So for me, the trumpet came through a strong artistic atmosphere, and from the

beginning I was especially drawn to contemporary music.

While trumpet is your main instrument today, you began with another instrument

decades ago, correct?

Arda: Yes. My path actually began in a middle school brass band in the 1990s, first on E-flat

alto horn, then cornet, and later trumpet. So in a way, joining Töölö Brass for these concerts

has felt like a return to my roots. That has been meaningful for me.

What I enjoy in brass band playing is the shared musical culture. People come together not

for status or ego, but for the simple and serious act of making music together. I find that very

beautiful, very human, and worth keeping alive.

You’ve played in orchestras, jazz ensembles, and solo projects. What have you

enjoyed most? You specialize in contemporary composers’ music, but you also

perform classical works by the old masters. Do you have a preference, a favourite

composer or style?

Arda: I have always wanted to keep a wide musical life. I learn from the whole history of

music, from medieval music to the present day, across genres, and also from experimental

practices. For me, these are not separate worlds. They all deepen the way I listen, shape

sound, and understand expression.

Contemporary and experimental music have remained especially close to me from the

beginning, because they keep the art form alive and moving. At the same time, I value

tradition deeply. I do not see tradition as something fixed, but as something we carry forward with care. In recent years, some of my most meaningful work has been in long durational performance art and in collaborations with living composers, but I also remain very connected to more traditional performance settings. What matters most to me is honesty, sensitivity, originality, presence, and the feeling that the music is truly alive.

Töölö Brass was looking for a new principal cornet, and it was a happy coincidence

that you were also seeking a band. What are your first impressions of playing with a

brass band after such a long time?

Arda: I should first say that I joined Töölö Brass for these concerts by kind invitation, and it

has been a real pleasure. For me, this has not been about finding a position, but about

taking part in a meaningful musical community in my new home.

Coming back to brass band playing after many years has felt both nostalgic and fresh. I

come from different brass traditions, so this has also been a chance to listen, learn, and

adapt. What has touched me most is the spirit of the group: people coming together to make beautiful music with sincerity, without ego, and with real care for one another. I feel honoured to be part of that.

You are a respected teacher and enthusiastic about sharing your knowledge. Your

students range from beginners to advanced players. How would you describe your

teaching techniques and what do you find most rewarding in teaching?

Arda: Teaching, for me, begins with listening. Every student has a different path, a different

need, and a different way of understanding. I try to find the right approach for each person,

drawing from the long history of our art while also staying open and creative in the present.

What I find most rewarding is helping someone become more fully themselves in music.

Technique matters, of course, but beyond technique, I want students to grow in sensitivity,

confidence, and a deeper sense of themselves in music. Teaching is never one-way. I also

learn a great deal from my students, and that exchange is one of the most meaningful parts

of musical life.

Would you like to tell readers something more about you and your career?

Arda: My path has moved between tradition and experimentation, performance, teaching,

and broader artistic work. Some of my recent work also extends into long durational

performance art and immaterial art. In all of this, I try to serve the music itself and keep it

alive as something living, human, and shared.

Finally, what kinds of activities do you plan to pursue in Finland?

Arda: I hope to build a life in Finland through artistic creativity, performance, education, and

new artistic explorations. I would be very happy to contribute here to cultural and educational life, while also staying connected to the wider world through art.

One important part of this new chapter is my Kone Foundation-funded art project, the first

work in my long durational musical performance art series I’MMATERIAL. In it, I am

developing a musical lie detector. The work asks whether honesty in music can be

confronted through the interaction of duration, sound, physical response, and the conditions

of performance itself. It is being developed in collaboration with a team at Aalto University,

where science supports the artistic process.

I feel truly grateful to be building a life in Finland and to be part of its musical culture.

Whether through performance, education, or new artistic projects, I hope to contribute with

openness, care, and real love for the art. At the same time, I care deeply about traditional

music-making and the social life around it, and Töölö Brass has been a wonderful way for

me to stay connected to that.

Interview: Marjukka Hietaniemi 2026