Bryce Dessner, best known as the guitarist for indie rock mainstays The National will perform his own compositions with Finnish violinist and composer Pekka Kuusisto as well as Kamus Orchestra in Finland this weekend. The performances will take place between 31.7.–1.8. at Our Festival in Tuusula. Pekka Kuusisto is the Artistic Director for the festival.

During the festival weekend Bryce Dessner and Pekka Kuusisto are also composing a brand new piece that they will premiere together on saturday 1st August in Peippola, Tuusula. The compostion will be written for Dessner’s guitar and Kuusisto’s violin, while both also play electronics.

Dessner and Kuusisto got the idea of working together at Our Festival when Kuusisto played at Dessner’s festival Cross-linx in February 2015, tells Kuusisto for Rumba magazine.

During recent years, Kuusisto has collaborated with orchestras such as Britten Sinfonia, Cincinnati Symphony, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Singapore Symphony, City of Birmingham Symphony and Philharmonia orchestra. In 2013 Kuusisto won the Nordic Council Music Prize.

While being best known for his work with The National, Dessner has also a long background in classical and contemporary music, composing for New York Philharmonic Orchestra and Kronos Quartet among others.

See Our Festival’s whole programme here.