Hanna Ryynänen

The captivating kantele artist Hanna Ryynänen releases her debut solo album Turn on Friday 5 May 2023. The album includes pieces Ryynänen has composed for the 21-string Saarijärvi kantele. She plays the kantele with different wooden sticks, and freed by expressive movement, also drums the instrument with her hands. Exploring different timbres and experimenting with diverse styles are essential to Ryynänen’s music, as are influences drawn from the rich traditions of kantele playing. The album presents instrumental music inspired by Finnish, Karelian and Latvian styles, among others. Ryynänen’s style does justice to the rich sound of the Saarijärvi kantele. She pushes the limits of her instrument by playing both softly and fiercely, meditatively and percussively. Ryynänen is a strong instrumentalist with an enchanting presence that invites both the audience and the musician herself to be surprised and delighted by the worlds of music created in the moment.