VVO: Songs by Kaj Chydenius – If You Love
Kaj Chydenius’s iconic compositions, performed by Jussi Chydenius, Oona Airola and the Vantaa Entertainment Orchestra.
About
Tickets: €79.90 / €69.90 / €59.90
Pensioners, students and unemployed persons: €76.40 / €66.40 / €56.40
Iconic songs by Kaj Chydenius spanning seven decades, performed by Jussi Chydenius, Oona Airola and the Vantaa Entertainment Orchestra.
Beloved composer Kaj Chydenius would have turned 85 in October 2024. His son, musician Jussi Chydenius, designed the If You Love concert series to celebrate his father’s birthday and remarkable career. The concert became a reality – but also a memorial: Kaj Chydenius passed away six months before the premiere, which was realised together with the Oulu Symphony.
The Vantaa Entertainment Orchestra performed the sold-out If You Love concert at the Helsinki Music Centre in February 2025. In the highly praised performance (Helsingin Sanomat, 16 Feb 2025), Jussi Chydenius joins the orchestra to present his favourites from his father’s vast body of work: both timeless, well-known classics and beautiful, lesser-known compositions. The concert features award-winning actor-singer Oona Airola as guest soloist.
The evening’s programme spans seven decades of music. Choosing just twenty pieces from such an iconic composer’s extensive output was no easy task.
“There was an enormous amount of material – nearly ten thousand compositions. My father composed almost daily until the end of his life,” Jussi Chydenius explains.
Among the classics are Sinua, sinua rakastan, Nuoruustango, Laulu kuolleesta rakastetusta, and Kalliolle kukkulalle. Less familiar gems include the beautifully simple Syleily, set to a poem by Aulikki Oksanen, and the more dramatic and theatrical Rakkaus rakkaus, based on a poem by Joakim Groth.
The arrangements are by Yrjö Hjelt, Sampo Kasurinen, Risto Kupiainen, Jarkko Riihimäki and Jussi Chydenius.
“The arrangements honour the core of the original compositions, while adding great depth. It’s been fascinating to discover just how many shades there are in my father’s songs,” says Jussi Chydenius.
The concert is conducted by Tomas Djupsjöbacka.
Duration: approx. 2 hours, including interval
Programme subject to change
Produced by: Vantaa Entertainment Orchestra and Tampere-talo
Programme
PROGRAMME:
Nocturne
Lyrics: Eino Leino
Arrangement: Jussi Chydenius & Risto Kupiainen
Kerjäläislegenda
Lyrics: Oiva Paloheimo
Arrangement: Jussi Chydenius & Risto Kupiainen
Rakkaus rakkaus
Lyrics: Joakim Groth
Finnish lyrics: Kaj Chydenius
Arrangement: Sampo Kasurinen
Syleily
Lyrics: Aulikki Oksanen
Arrangement: Yrjö Hjelt
Tyttö ja tanssiva karhu
Lyrics: Marja-Leena Mikkola
Arrangement: Yrjö Hjelt
Minun lintuni
Lyrics: Timo K. Mukka
Arrangement: Kaj Chydenius
Laulu lupauksista
Lyrics: Matti Rossi
Arrangement: Jussi Chydenius & Risto Kupiainen
Viimeisestä illasta
Lyrics: P. Mustapää
Arrangement: Sampo Kasurinen
Puhu minulle rakkaudesta
Lyrics: Aulikki Oksanen
Arrangement: Jarkko Riihimäki
Sinua, sinua rakastan
Lyrics: Aulikki Oksanen
Arrangement: Sampo Kasurinen
INTERVAL
Jos rakastat
Lyrics: Matti Rossi
Arrangement: Jarkko Riihimäki
Nuoruustango
Lyrics: Anu Kaipainen
Arrangement: Sampo Kasurinen
Joudu armas, joudu
Lyrics: Arvo Turtiainen
Arrangement: Yrjö Hjelt
Hyvästi
Lyrics: Aulikki Oksanen
Arrangement: Yrjö Hjelt
Natalia
Lyrics: Elvi Sinervo
Arrangement: Jarkko Riihimäki
Kaikkein kaunein tyttö
Lyrics: Luis de Góngora
Finnish lyrics: Aale Tynni
Arrangement: Risto Kupiainen
Olen minä onnellinen
Lyrics: Matti Rossi
Arrangement: Kaj Chydenius
Laulu kuolleesta rakastetusta
Lyrics: Marja-Leena Mikkola
Arrangement: Jarkko Riihimäki
Yö
Lyrics: V. A. Koskenniemi
Arrangement: Jussi Chydenius & Risto Kupiainen
Jäähyväiset
Lyrics: Marja-Leena Mikkola
sov. Jarkko Riihimäki
Did you know that you can pre-order refreshments for before the performance or during the interval?
Explore this season’s refreshments here:
Tampere Hall Pastry: Baked organic apple tart (L, G) – €8.00
Chocolate-Apricot Pastry (L, G) – €9.00
Lemon Tartlet (L) – €8.00
Apple Cake with Vanilla Whip (Ve) – €8.00
Salted Caramel & Nut Brownie with Marinated Raspberries (Ve, G) – €8.00
Salted Caramel Macarons, 2 pcs – €5.50
Dietary codes:
L = Lactose-free, Ve = Vegan, G = Gluten-free
Sweet and Savoury Combo: Lightly seared gravlax with a passionfruit mousse pastry (L) – €8.00
Prawn Sandwich (L, G) – €14.00
Tomato-Pesto Pastry (L, G) – €8.00
Goat Cheese Bagel (L) – €8.00
Air-Dried Ham Bagel (L) – €8.00
Carrot and Herb Tartlet (Ve, G) – €8.00
Dietary codes:
L = Lactose-free, VL = Low-lactose, Ve = Vegan, G = Gluten-free
MENU €22
(€26 when ordered on the spot)
Salmon pie and smoked sour cream L, G
Finnish flatbread, smoked reindeer and rooftop garden microgreens L
Vegetable pie and smoky oat fraîche Veg, G
Finnish flatbread, smoked tofu and rooftop garden microgreens Veg, G
***
Chocolate mud cake, marinated organic berries and rooftop honey L, G
Macaron pastry and organic edible flowers L, G
Seasonal apricot pastry Veg, G
***
Organic coffee and organic tea
Dietary codes:
L = Lactose-free, VL = Low-lactose, Ve = Vegan, G = Gluten-free
Enjoy a buffet-style selection featuring, among other delights, locally produced cheeses, cold cuts, and mouth-watering marinated treats. Special dietary requirements are accommodated based on advance notice at the time of booking. A pre-booked seat at the antipasto table served before the performance €22.90. The table is set 1.5 hours before the performance begins on the 3rd floor of Tampere Hall. There is a bar in the space where drinks can be ordered on the spot. Check whether the menu is available for the performance and come enjoy!
Secure your preferred refreshments by purchasing them in advance. Refreshments can be pre-ordered online no later than 6 p.m. on the day before the event. You can place your order via the “order refreshments” link for your chosen event.
Did you know that at this performance you can enjoy refreshments in the auditorium!
The Boxes A and B in the Main Auditorium are designated as age-restricted (18+) areas for this performance. Audience members with tickets for these boxes may bring drinks purchased before the show or during the interval into the auditorium. Please note that the age limit of 18 is strictly enforced – minors are not permitted in the licensed seating area.
Ask for a group offer
If your party includes 10 or more people
you can ask for a group offer:
ryhmamyynti@tampere-talo.fi
tel. 03 243 4501 (Mon to Fri from 10 am to 4 pm)
Complement your experience by staying under the same roof
The Courtyard Tampere City hotel, attached to Tampere Hall, offers the perfect experience. When you book accommodation for your visit through us, you get partner rates. Welcome to enjoy yourself!
Photo: Laura Vanzo, Visit Tampere
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