Kamarimusiikki, vuorovaikutus ja yhteisöllisyys vuoden 2015 Meidän Festivaalilla

In this article I investigate the character of musical interaction in chamber music at Our Festival (Meidän Festivaali), a socially aware and open-minded Finnish chamber music festival held by Lake Tuusula. In chamber music the musical interaction typically includes delicate interplay among the performers. However, at Our Festival, chamber music also includes improvisation and audience participation, both of which directly influence the outcome of the actual performance. In the article I also investigate whether the festival’s goal of increased social awareness and sense of community affects the quality of the musical interactions. The phenomenon of musical interaction in chamber music is examined more closely in selected performances and rehearsals at Our Festival in 2015, where fieldwork was conducted and ethnographic research material (audiovisual recordings, interviews) were collected. The article builds on performance studies, particularly ethnographic research on art music performance. Interaction in chamber music is discussed from three viewpoints: 1) The audience as a participant in musical interaction; 2) the composer as a participant in musical interaction; and 3) improvisation in musical interaction. Lastly, the character of chamber music at Our Festival is considered from the perspective of creating a sense of community. The article also discusses new dimensions of musicianship (e.g. spontaneous improvisation and social awareness) in art music in the early twenty-first century. This study is part of the research project Finnish music in the 21st century: the socio-cultural significance of art music in the postmodern world funded by the Kone Foundation (2014–2016). &nbsp