Time of Music, Viitasaari

Time of Music (Musiikin aika) festival is organized by an association called Viitasaaren kesäakatemia ry in the beginning of July every year in Viitasaari, Central Finland. Time of Music focuses on cutting-edge contemporary music, and hosts the most important composers and artists of the field yearly, gaining an international reputation as a courageous, border-breaking and innovative event. Its exotic and remote location in the small town, by the lake, has caused a buzz within the visitors which cannot be compared to any other festival. “The spirit of Viitasaari” is a known statement spread throughout the most active countries of contemporary music.

Time of Music offers summer academy courses and workshops and because of that it is an important meeting point for music professionals and students from both Finland and abroad. The festival contains not only concerts but meetings and lectures plus presentations.

The artistic director is composer Johan Tallgren, who is the fifth artistic director in the festival’s history, after composers Jukka Tiensuu, Jarmo Sermilä, Tapio Tuomela and Perttu Haapanen.

Traveling

Viitasaari is situated in Central Finland, about 370 km north from the capital city Helsinki. It is best accessible by train and bus. The nearest train station is situated in Jyväskylä, about 110 km south from Viitasaari. From Jyväskylä there are several buses daily to Viitasaari. The nearest airport in July is in Kuopio about 200 km east from Viitasaari. There is no direct public transportation from Kuopio airport to Viitasaari.