Unspoken Wu Qian & Juho Pohjonen

• Sophia Maria Westenholz (1759 - 1838): Sonata for Piano 4 Hands, Op. 3:
• 1 Westenholz: Sonata for Piano 4 Hands, Op. 3: I. Allegro 08:19
• 2 Westenholz: Sonata for Piano 4 Hands, Op. 3: II. Andante grazioso 04:35
• 3 Westenholz: Sonata for Piano 4 Hands, Op. 3: III. Allegro molto vivace 06:39
• Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847): Andante and Variations, Op. 83a:
• 4 Mendelssohn: Andante and Variations, Op. 83a 12:24
• Andante and Allegro brillant, Op. 92
• 5 Mendelssohn: Andante and Allegro brillant, Op. 92 10:27
• Cécile Chaminade (1857 - 1944): Pièces romantiques, Op. 55:
• 6 Chaminade: Pièces romantiques, Op. 55: I. Primavera 02:09
• 7 Chaminade: Pièces romantiques, Op. 55: II. La chaise à porteurs 01:38
• 8 Chaminade: Pièces romantiques, Op. 55: III. Idylle arabe 02:18
• 9 Chaminade: Pièces romantiques, Op. 55: IV. Sérénade d'automne 02:20
• 10 Chaminade: Pièces romantiques, Op. 55: V. Danse hindoue 01:39
• 11 Chaminade: Pièces romantiques, Op. 55: VI. Rigaudon 02:46
• Amy Beach (1867 - 1944): Summer Dreams, Op. 47:
• 12 Beach: Summer Dreams, Op. 47: I. The Brownies 03:45
• 13 Beach: Summer Dreams, Op. 47: II. Robin Redbreast 01:41
• 14 Beach: Summer Dreams, Op. 47: III. Twilight 02:21
• 15 Beach: Summer Dreams, Op. 47: IV. Katy-dids 00:44
• 16 Beach: Summer Dreams, Op. 47: V. Elfin tarantelle 01:35
• 17 Beach: Summer Dreams, Op. 47: VI. Good night 03:07
• Total Runtime 01:08:27

Info for Unspoken

Unspoken explores the piano duet repertoire as a space for intimacy and shared imagination. Pianists Wu Qian and Juho Pohjonen present a programme that moves between intimate lyricism and virtuosic display, centred on works for piano four hands. The focus is on the two great duets by Felix Mendelssohn, framed by a striking rediscovery: the Sonata in F major by Sophia Maria Westenholz, whose bold harmonic language and orchestral sweep bridge classical clarity and early Romantic ambition. The programme is rounded off by the characterful four-hand works of Cécile Chaminade and Amy Beach, offering contrasting worlds of colour, scene and poetic miniature. Recorded with warmth and clarity, Unspoken reflects the piano duet in its most intimate form: two musicians sharing a single instrument.

Wu Qian, piano
Juho Pohjonen, piano

Wu Qian
Selected as the classical music bright young star for 2007 by the Independent Newspaper, Wu Qian was born in Shanghai, where she received her early training before being invited to study at the Yehudi Menuhin School. At fifteen she performed Mozart’s E flat Major concerto (K449) in the Queen Elizabeth Hall and again at the Menuhin Festival in Switzerland. She also played the Saint-Saens Concerto No.2 with the Philharmonia Orchestra in St. John’s Smith Square. She made her debut recital at the South Bank Purcell Room in 2000 and has since played there again on several occasions, including a recital broadcast by BBC Radio 3.

Qian has given recitals throughout Europe including the Steinway Halls of Hamburg where her performance was broadcast throughout Asia. Other international engagements have included appearances at the Steinway Hall in New York, the Hong Kong City Hall, the Koblenz Festival in Germany, the Santander International Festival, the Yale Summer Music Festival. In the UK Qian has appeared at the Wigmore, Royal Festival and Bridgewater Halls, the Harrogate, Grassington, Norfolk and Norwich festivals, the London Chopin Festival and many others.

Qian regularly appears in many articles, radio and television programs including being interviewed on BBC 4 and BBC World. Her concerts have been broadcast by NHK for Japan, Phoenix TV for China as well as BBC Radio 3 in the UK.

Qian’s debut recording of works by Schumann, Liszt and the young composer Alexander Prior was released in April 2009 on the Dal Segno label to world-wide acclaim, drawing comparisons to many of the great pianists of the last century. In the same year, Qian represented China in the Europalia festival performing Chopin’s 2nd piano concerto with the Brussels Philharmonic in a tour of Belgium.

Future plans include a new CD release with works by Schumann and future engagements in England, Italy, Norway and Germany. This season she has made her recital debut at the Chamber Hall of Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and the Kennedy Center in Washington DC and has performed other recitals in Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin, Padova and Koblenz. She has just returned from performing the "Yellow River" Concerto at the Toronto Center for the Arts in Canada.

In 2011, Qian was awarded the 1st prize at the Trio di Trieste Duo Competition with Alexander Sitkovetsky.

Qian is also a founding member of the Sitkovetsky Trio, with which she has performed all over the UK and Europe, including the Beethoven Triple with the Munich Symphoniker and the Orchestra of the Swan. The trio was awarded the prestigious 2009 NORDMETALL-ensemble Prize at the Mecklenburg Vorpommern Festival and the 1st prize at the Kommerzbank Trio competition in Frankfurt. It has performed in numerous concert halls and Festivals in the UK and abroad including the Alte Oper in Frankfurt, the Chamber Hall of Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw as well as the Wigmore Hall in London. Future plans include the Beethoven Triple with the Konzerthaus Orchester Berlin as well as further regular appearances at the Wigmore Hall.

Juho Pohjonen
is a highly acclaimed Finnish pianist who has captivated audiences worldwide with his exceptional talent and unique musical expression. He has garnered international acclaim for his performances across Europe, Asia, and North America. His versatile artistry is evident in appearances with symphony orchestras, in recital, and through chamber music collaborations. Across these settings, his repertoire frequently highlights works by acclaimed Finnish composers such as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Kaija Saariaho, and Jean Sibelius, reflecting his deep affinity for Scandinavian music.

This season Pohjonen performs alongside his regular chamber music partners including with violinist Stephen Waarts in Florence and Amsterdam, and with pianist Wu Qian returning to the Surrey Hills International Music Festival and in Portugal. In North America, he continues his long-standing relationship with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, performing at the Lincoln Center and venues across the United States and returns to Malboro Music Festival in the summer.

Last season, Pohjonen performed Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor with the Philharmonia Orchestra and conductor Vinay Parameswaran, and appeared at the Wigmore Hall with violinist Stephen Waarts and cellist Jonathan Swensen. In Finland, he took part in the Lux Musicae Festival, and returned to North America for performances with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

Juho Pohjonen has performed as soloist with many of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, including the BBC Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Danish National Symphony, Finnish Radio Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich. He has collaborated with conductors such as Marin Alsop, Marek Janowski, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Osmo Vänskä and Pinchas Zukerman, and recently performed Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra under Giedrė Šlekytė and Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Violin, Piano, and Strings with violinist Erin Keefe and the Kymi Sinfonietta conducted by Osmo Vänskä.

On the recital stage, Pohjonen has performed throughout Europe, including in Antwerp, Hamburg, Helsinki, London’s Wigmore Hall, St. Petersburg and Warsaw. In North America he has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center, and in Philadelphia, San Francisco, La Jolla, Detroit, and Vancouver. His festival appearances include Lucerne, Savonlinna, Bergen, Mecklenberg-Vorpommern, and the Mostly Mozart Festival, as well as the Macula Musica series in Helsinki, Festspiele Südtirol, Amsterdam Chamber Festival and the Surrey Hills International Music Festival. He has also toured extensively in the United States with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, performing in Grand Rapids, Virginia, Florida, and at Alice Tully Hall.

Juho Pohjonen’s recordings showcase the breadth and depth of his musicianship. His recently released album on Orchid Records, “Visionaries of the Keyboard”, features works by Rameau and Scriabin. This album highlights Pohjonen’s ability to navigate the complex, emotive landscapes of Rameau’s baroque elegance and Scriabin’s modernist mysticism. Additionally, Pohjonen featured on two other albums released last season: “Poltera plays Prokofiev” with cellist Christian Poltéra,” where he and cellist Christian Poltéra perform Prokofiev’s Cello Sonata in C major and Brett Dean’s “Rooms of Elsinore,” where Pohjonen’s collaboration brings a fresh perspective to Dean’s evocative and atmospheric work. Plateaux, his debut recording on Dacapo Records, featured works by late Scandinavian composer Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen, including the solo piano suite For Piano, and piano concerto Plateaux pour Piano et Orchestre, with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and conductor Ed Spanjaard. Pohjonen joins violinist Petteri Iivonen and cellist Samuli Peltonen to form the Sibelius Trio, who released a recording on Yarlung Records in honour of Finland’s 1917 centennial of independence. The album, described by Stereophile as “a gorgeous debut”, included works by Sibelius and Saariaho.

Pohjonen’s studies began at the Junior Academy of the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki in 1989, under the guidance of Meri Louhos. He continued his education at the Sibelius Academy, earning his Master’s Degree in 2008 under the tutelage of Hui-Ying Liu-Tawaststjerna. In 2009, he was selected by Sir András Schiff as the winner of the Klavier Festival Ruhr Scholarship. Pohjonen is also an alumnus of the prestigious Kronberg Academy and has garnered prizes at both international and Finnish competitions.

Pohjonen launched MyPianist in 2019, an AI-based iOS app that provides interactive piano accompaniment to musicians everywhere. Designed and programmed by Pohjonen himself and infused with his keen musical sensibility, MyPianist acts as a “virtual pianist” for musicians looking to hone their skills or learn new material. MyPianist carefully “listens” to the musician’s playing and recreates the piano part in real time, matching the timing and nuances of the live performance.

Booklet for Unspoken