World-renowned woodwind players to give masterclasses in Uusikaupunki, Finland, in 2025!

Crusell Music Festival in Uusikaupunki, Finland, is one of the few festivals in the world focused around woodwind instruments. Next summer will be the 44th edition of the Crusell Music Festival, and the festival will take place July 28-August 3. In addition to fantastic chamber music concerts, Crusell Music Festival organizes annual masterclasses. We are proud to present some of the world’s finest woodwind artists and pedagogues as our teachers each year.

In 2025 the Crusell Music Festival will organize masterclasses for flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon. In addition to the masterclasses, the festival will host flute, clarinet and bassoon courses, aimed for both younger and older woodwind enthusiasts and students.

We at the Crusell Music Festival want to make our festival a meeting place for woodwind professionals from both the orchestral and teaching fields. We would like to warmly welcome you to further your knowledge as a performer or as a teacher by following our masterclasses. You can follow the masterclasses by buying a passive student’s pass. With a student pass you can follow the masterclasses and learn the teaching methods of our guest teachers, get new inspiration as well as create some international relations and networks. At the end of the festival we will organize a roundtable discussion with the teachers and students of the masterclasses. The objective of the roundtable is to discuss the different paths of becoming a professional musician and the ways to further develop oneself as a musician.

Welcome!

 

Enrolment:

You can sign up via the link.

Applications close on April 30. Sign ups will be confirmed by May 31.

Dates:

Masterclasses will be held Mon 28 July – Sun 3 August

Fees:

Active student: 380 €, incl. teaching, free access to every festival concert and discussion

Passive student 150 € / all week or 40 € / day

A passive student has the right to attend a course, but no personal instruction. Concerts not included.

Accommodation:

School accommodation for the whole week is 100 €. It is possible to arrive on Sun 27 July and leave Mon 4 August. Inquiries about possibility for house accomodation: toiminnanjohtaja@crusell.fi.

More options: https://visituusikaupunki.fi/fi/majoitu

More information:

courses@crusell.fi

Teachers

Flute masterclass, Anna Garzuly-Wahlgren

Flute course, Elina Raijas

Oboe masterclass, Henrik Wahlgren

Clarinet masterclass, Yehuda Gilad

Clarinet course, Björn Nyman

Bassoon masterclass, Mor Biron

Bassoon course, Mikko-Pekka Svala

Anna Garzuly-Wahlgren, flute masterclass

Anna Garzuly-Wahlgren is a Professor of Flute at the “Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy” University of Music and Theatre in Leipzig, having previously held the same position at the Franz Liszt University of Music in Weimar. Following her studies in Budapest, Munich, and New York, she became a longstanding member of the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig, serving as associate and principal flutist.

An internationally acclaimed soloist and chamber musician, Anna has won numerous prizes at major international music competitions. As a soloist, she has performed with the Gewandhaus Orchestra under distinguished conductors. Her chamber music collaborations include performances with the Sabine Meyer Ensemble, the Linos Ensemble, the Gewandhaus Octet and many more. Anna is also a founding member of the renowned Leipzig flute ensemble “Quintessenz.” Her versatility in musical styles and the colourfulness of her playing are internationally recognized and she can be heard on several excellent orchestral and chamber music recordings.

Anna Garzuly-Wahlgren © Gert Mothes

Elina Raijas, flute course

Elina Raijas started playing the flute at the age of 9 at the Lohja Music Institute. She continued her studies at the Sibelius Academy and at the Karlsruhe Music Academy in Germany, graduating with a Master of Music degree in 1999.

Her career as an orchestral musician started already in autumn 1997 as the sound director of the Joensuu City Orchestra. Elina Raijas has been playing in her current position as the alternating sound director of the Helsinki City Orchestra since 1999. She has also gained experience as a soloist with the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Finnish National Opera Orchestra. In addition to her orchestral work, Elina works as a teacher at the Sibelius Academy and gives numerous master classes in Finnish music schools every year.

In her free time, Elina enjoys hiking and rock climbing in nature.

Henrik Wahlgren, oboe masterclass

Henrik Wahlgren is the longstanding Principal Oboe of the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig. He joined the orchestra in 1994 as Principal Cor Anglais, a position he held until 1997. Following this, he served as Principal Oboe with the Staatskapelle Dresden before returning to the Gewandhaus Orchestra. Henrik began his studies with Alf Nilsson at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, later continuing with Günther Passin at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Munich. His early career included a position as Associate Principal Oboe with the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra.

A former member of the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra under Claudio Abbado, Henrik now serves as a tutor for the woodwind section of the ensemble. He is also a mentor at the Mendelssohn Orchestra Academy of the Gewandhaus Orchestra and at the Hochschule für Musik “Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy” in Leipzig. As a distinguished chamber musician, Henrik is a member of the Armonia Ensemble, a wind octet founded by the principal wind players of the Gewandhaus Orchestra. The ensemble regularly performs on international stages, and Henrik has also appeared as a chamber music artist at the Stavanger Chamber Music Festival.

Yehuda Gilad, clarinet masterclass

A teacher, instrumentalist and conductor, Yehuda Gilad strives for “total musicianship,” and as a result, he has won the acclaim of both critics and audiences alike. As one of the founding members of the Colburn School Conservatory of Music, Mr. Gilad serves as Music Director of the Colburn Orchestra and Professor of Clarinet for the Colburn Conservatory, the Colburn Community School of Performing Arts, and the Colburn Music Academy. In addition, he is Professor of Clarinet at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, and across these two prestigious institutions, he has developed one of the most sought-after clarinet studios in the world.

His students have achieved top honors in every premier international clarinet competition, and graduates of his studio hold positions in over 150 major orchestras worldwide. In 2012, he served as president of the jury for the Carl Nielsen 5th International Clarinet Competition in Odense, Denmark. Mr. Gilad is a recipient of numerous honors and awards. He is regularly invited to present master classes and performances at music conservatories and major festivals around the globe.

Björn Nyman, clarinet course

The Finnish clarinetist Björn Nyman is one of the leading clarinetists of his generation in the Nordic region. He is professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music as well as a sought-after chamber musician and soloist. He is principal clarinet of the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra. He was principal clarinetist in the Norwegian Radio Orchestra for 20 years but left the orchestra in 2023.

Nyman is a prizewinner in two of the most prestigious international clarinet competitions: the ARD competition in Munich in 2003 and the Carl Nielsen competition in Odense in 2005. In both competitions he was also awarded the prize for best interpretation of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto. In addition, he was awarded the prize for best performance of the comissioned piece in the ARD. Nyman won shared first prize at the Crusell Clarinet Competition in 2002 as well as the ConocoPhillipps Prize the same year.

Björn Nyman has been a soloist with several orchestras and as a dedicated chamber musician he has played at many of the leading festivals in Scandinavia. He has studied with Hans Christian Bræin and Leif Arne Pedersen at the Norwegian Academy of Music as well as with Yehuda Gilad of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Nyman has an internationally recognized clarinet class at the Norwegian Academy of Music and is regularly giving masterclasses internationally.

Mor Biron, bassoon masterclass

A former member of the world-renowned Berliner Philharmoniker, Mor Biron is celebrated for his artistry and dedication to exploring the emotional depth of music. His musical journey began on the cello before transitioning to the bassoon.

Mor has held prestigious positions, including Principal Bassoon at the Valencia opera house and member of the Berliner Philharmoniker. An active chamber musician, he performs with esteemed ensembles. Passionate about early music, Mor also brings historical instruments to life, offering audiences a glimpse into the richness of period performance.

A dedicated educator, Mor is the leading Professor of Bassoon at the Barenboim-Said Academy in Berlin and was a teacher at the Academy of Orchestral Studies in Sevilla. His global masterclasses and teaching roles, including at the Karajan Academy, have shaped countless young musicians. Mor’s performances and teachings are driven by a deep commitment to combining technical excellence with emotional resonance. He believes in music’s unique power to connect people and convey the profound humanity behind every note.

Mor Biron | FAGOTTI
Mor Biron © Michael Pavia

Mikko-Pekka Svala, bassoon course

Bassoonist Mikko-Pekka Svala grew up in Kemi in Northern Finland. After completing his studies at the Turku Conservatory, he went on to study at the Malmö Academy of Music, Sibelius-Academy in Helsinki, Musik Hochschule in Leipzig and with professor Ole Kristian Dahl in Cologne.

Mikko-Pekka won 2nd prize in the Crusell competition 2003. Mikko-Pekka started his professional career at the Malmö Opera and the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra. He has been playing as a guest solo bassoonist at the RundfunkSinfonieorchester Berlin and many orchestras in Scandinavia. Mikko-Pekka currently holds the position of associate principal bassoonist in the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. He is also a member of the Zagros Ensemble, the Helsinki Chamber Soloists and Ilmiö-ensemble.

Mikko-Pekka Svala is an avid performer of modern music. He has commissioned and premiered the concertos by Yrjö Hjelt, Tomi Räisänen and Matei Gheorghiu.

A devoted pedagogue, Mikko-Pekka teaches at the Helsinki Conservatory, Mannheim University of Music and Performing Arts and Hochschule für Musik Trossingen. He has been the Artistic Director of the Kälviä music course from 2013.

Mikko-Pekka Svala ©  Patrik Stenström