A music festival for 'when words end'

Concert violinist Pekka Kuusisto was on stage at a packed Royal Albert Hall in London. He had just played a concerto as part of the prestigious BBC Proms music festival, and the crowd wanted an encore.

So, how did Kuusisto respond? By teaching the audience a Finnish folk song, and getting them to join in.

Few violinists would respond that way, of course. But Kuusisto doesn't always do things the standard way, and that's caught the attention of critics and audiences.

Kuusisto is in the Twin Cities for the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra's Where Words End festival.

The festival takes its name from a quote by the composer Jean Sibelius: "For me, music begins where words end."

It's a beautiful concept that music can express so many things without speech, Kuusisto said. "The things that are so intensely private that they will be different for each listener."

He thinks the lonely, empty nature of Scandinavian countries influences composers of the region.

This weekend, he'll perform works of Sibelius, a Finnish composer.

Here's how the orchestra describes the festival:

The festival brings together artists of various disciplines and backgrounds to join the SPCO in exploring themes of immigration and cultural identity, with a special focus on Nordic music and culture. "Where Words End will explore deeply resonant themes of our time that connect us with various waves of migration from the 19th century to the present," said Artistic Director and Principal Violin Kyu-Young Kim. "We are looking forward to examining these themes through the lens of Nordic music and the Nordic heritage that is so deeply woven into the cultural fabric of our community."

Details on the festival are here.

To hear a conversation between Kuusisto and All Things Considered host Tom Crann, use the audio player above.