Performer of the Year Kent Washburn Evenings of Folk, Orchestral and Film Music with Kent Washburn n 1996 Finlandia Foundation I National (FFN), the premier network of Finnish-American organizations in the United States, initiated its Performer of the Year (POY) program to showcase a variety of talents related to the culture and traditions of Finland and Finnish America at live performances at FFN chapters across the U.S. Music has always been important to FFN, and most of its POY have been musicians, from singers to traditional folk, jazz and classical Washburn lives in the instrumental artists. Washington, D.C. metro area and is organist at Arlington Memorial hat musical tradition Baptist Church in Arlington, T continues with current Virginia. He has performed on POY Kent “Aarne” Washburn. piano at the Finnish Embassy The keyboard artist has in his for Kalevala Night, and enjoys repertoire a host of Finnish playing organ concerts of musical experiences—primarily Finnish orchestral music. on organ, but he also performs on piano. s POY, Washburn performs Aa wide range of Finnish Kent grew up in Ithaca, New orchestral music that he has Gypsy Charmer). One of his ashburn scored the film York, where his mother (born transcribed for organ, including presentations as POY is the W entirely with Finnish music. in Finland) and his father were traditional folk music, patriotic screening of the 1929 The To the colorful gypsy life on founding members of the Finger marches and songs, and Gypsy Charmer, with his screen, he matched a wealth of Lakes Finns. He began piano favorites such as “Kulkurin accompaniment on organ. equally colorful folk and popular lessons at age nine and organ valssi,” “Kotimaani ompi Suomi” music. The film soundtrack studies at age 14, while enjoying and “Finlandia.” The film was written and premiered at FinnFest USA 2013 participating in local Finnish directed by Valentin Vaala in Hancock, Michigan. music and dance activities. Washburn has written musical and Teuvo Tulio, two Russian He went on to complete organ scores for two Finnish silent immigrants to Finland. It and music studies at films, Laveata Tieta and features a Rudolph Valentino-like Syracuse University. Mustalaishurmaaja (The gypsy played by Tulio. ind more about Finlandia F Foundation National, its Performer of the Year and other programs at the website: FinlandiaFoundation.org PAST PERFORMERS OF THE YEAR: 2018 Juli Wood, jazz saxophonist, Chicago 2016-17 Pirjo Polari-Khan, children’s author, poet and storyteller, San Jose, California 2015 Sara Pajunen, violinist and composer, Minnesota 2014 Olli Hirvonen, jazz guitarist, New York City 2013 Marja Kaisla, classical 2005 Richard pianist, Philadelphia Koski, two- 2012 Maria Kizirian, singer and row diatonic songwriter, Los Angeles button accordionist, 2011 Wilho Saari, tradition bearer Trumansburg, of the Finnish kantele, Naselle, New York Washington 2003-04 Maarit Vaga, 2010 Finn Hall, folk band, soprano, Albion, New York Oakdale, Minnesota 2002 Ulla Suokko, flutist, 2009 Terhi Miikki-Broersma, multi- New York City instrumentalist, 2001 Lynden, Washington Vicki Gornick, organist, Chisholm, Minnesota 2008 Brent Buswell and Bert 2000 Stromholm, accordion duo from Diane Jarvi, singer, poet and Donegal, Pennsylvania and songwriter, Minneapolis Pompton Plains, New Jersey 1999 Craig Randal Johnson, 2007 Maria Männistö, soprano, pianist, string bassist and Seattle conductor, Minneapolis 1998 2006 Kaiku, female Bernhard Hillila, comedic vocal duo from lecturer, Valparaiso, Indiana New York City 1997 Koivun Kaiku, kantele ensemble, Minneapolis 1996 Merja Soria, kantele artist and vocalist, San Diego FFN is a 501(c)(3) organization. For more information: FinlandiaFoundation.org Finlandia Foundation National P.O. Box 92046 Pasadena, CA 91109-2046 Please contact the FFN office for more information: Phone: 626.795.2081 Email: [email protected] January 2020.