MINNA WEURLANDER- english

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Photo: César Peña

Nominated Artist of the year with Duo Naranjo-Weurlander at Swedish Folk & Worldmusic Awards 2018!

Accordion virtuoso Minna Weurlander was born and raised in Finland. Music brought her to Sweden where she is active as a concert accordionist and composer. She has worked with everything from symphony orchestras to contemporary, experimental dance and theater along with film productions. Minna frequently experiments with the accordion’s various sonorities, its percussive qualities and massive sound.

She master many different kind of music styles and fields; from classics like Bach and Scarlatti to contemporary accordion music like Gubaidulina. From opera to world music, tango nuevo and Russian accordion music. Her own music and her playing style has been heavily influenced by the Russian accordion tradition and of course by the Argentine Tango.

Her technical skills together with her expressive way of palying is an outstanding combination.

Minna has previously released two solo albums, “Usva” and “Señora del Destino” and album “Entwined” with Duo Naranjo-Weurlander. Minna started playing when she was only four and att the age of 14 she entered the youth education at Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. She finished her soloist education at Sibelius Academy 1997 as one of the youngest accordion graduates ever .

She has taken MasterClasses with legendary French accordionist Marcel Azzolla and pianist Lina Bosatti, accordonist and compocer Richard Galliano and world-famous Russian accordion virtuoso and professor Friedrich Lips .

The public interest for Minna Weurlanders talents rose early. During her education she toured frequently, winning competitions in Finland and abroad. Among these Premio Internationale ASTOR PIAZZOLLA and CIA international accordion competition.

Minna has been also working as an accordionist and composer with the Danish “one of a kind on the Danishand performance scene” dancechoreographer and dancer Anders Christiansen on four different performances in Copenhagen. During 2012-2013 she was an accordionist in residence at Malmö Opera and Music Theatre. She has written music to many theatre producions in Sweden and in Denmark. Among these “Dreyer, The Tyrannical Dane” (Lynch Company DK) and “Frida K” (Theatre Sagohuset in Lund). During the last ten years she has been touring in Europe and Scandinavia and appeared multiple times on the Swedish National Radio and TV. Minna is supported by the Swedish Arts Council, the Swedish Arts Grants Committee and the Swedish Performing Arts Agency

Duo Naranjo-Weurlander is one of Scandinavian most successfull crossover ensambles. Minna plays and composes together with Chilean concert pianist Tania Naranjo now touring worldwide

Minna Weurlander Homepage: https://minnaweurlander.org