Finnish composer and conductor Toivo Kuula was a student of Sibelius, and pieces such as the majestic Juhlamarssi (‘Festive March’) share the great master’s national flavour while the descriptive folktales of Satukuvia create their own beautifully romantic atmosphere. Kuula’s piano music is notable for its vast array of colour and variety of style, from the melancholy Surumarssi (‘Funeral March’) (from Six Pieces, op.26) to the lighthearted Schottis (‘Scottish Dance’), while countless Finnish couples have been married to the accompaniment of Kuula’s Häämarssi (‘Wedding March’).

Multi prize-winning pianist, Adam Johnson, was a scholar and Junior Fellow at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester (RNCM), performing under the batons of Kent Nagano, Martyn Brabbins and George Hurst. He made his concerto debut aged 15 playing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 15 in Pavlovsk Palace, St Petersburg, conducting from the piano, and his Wigmore Hall debut in October 2017. He has given recitals throughout the world including Istanbul, New York, Northern Spain, Norway, and Rio de Janeiro, as well as a demanding schedule in the UK. Johnson is currently the artistic director and principal conductor of the Northern Lights Symphony Orchestra.