I’m excited to create the role of “Louhi”, a pivotal character – evil enchantress, in “KALEVALA The Musical. Johanna Telander has given me 2 incredible solos for this character so far, for this special concert sampling, open to the public, Saturday, January 6th, 2018, at 7 pm. Maija Anttila with Soulgaze Films presents a concert performance featuring samples from an upcoming production of Kalevala the Musical, composed by Johanna Telander. The concert, which will take place January 6th, 2018 at 7pm at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church (346 W 20th St. New York, NY 10011), is an introduction to the music from Kalevala the Musical. An official staged reading will follow in the spring of 2018. Tickets are available at https://
The Kalevala is a story of ancient legends told by the spirits of the haunted forest of Kalevala. The musical is adapted from materials of the national epic poem of Finland, Kalevala. The date of origin of the stories is unknown, as they have been passed down from generation to generation until finally collected in to a book of poems by Elias Lonnrot in 1849. Widely cherished across the world, yet lesser known than the Iliad and its contemporaries, several translations of Kalevala have been a source of inspiration to many fantasy authors since it was originally published by Lonnrot. Among others, the author of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit, J.R.R.Tolkien has acknowledged the direct influence of Kalevala in his works. The story has been set to an ethereal yet powerful pop, folk and world music score written by Johanna Telander.