Duo SaBu, which is composed of pianist Heidi Saario and tenor Erich Buchholz, brings to life songs for voice and piano, especially the songs of Finland. They have performed at the Finnish Hall in Berkeley, CA, and at private house concerts. Erich, a native of Chicago, has studied Finnish language and repertoire since 2006. Heidi, a native of Helsinki, has performed and taught piano in Finland, Canada, and USA. They met at a solo performance of Heidi’s in 2022, where she played Finnish piano music, and began working together soon after. Finnish composers represented include Oskar Merikanto, Yrjö Kilpinen, Jean Sibelius, Leevi Madetoja, Martti Turunen. They also perform the music of Edvard Grieg, Erich Korngold, and Ralph Vaughan Williams.
The richness of Finnish song repertoire is deep, with its stark and expressive poetry, and music that breathes a new life into the poems with moods that are at times pastoral and folk-like, turning brooding, romantic, imbued with a profound connection to the natural world. In the songs you hear bird calls, the sea, winds, snow-capped mountains. These musical images amplify the emotions and complexity of human experience captured in the poetry of L. Onerva, Eino Leino, Hilja Haahti, J. H. Erkko, A. V. Koskimies, Severi Nyman, and the folk poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot. Heidi and Erich are passionate about bringing this exceptional repertoire to more audiences in the USA and abroad. Complete texts and translations are provided at each of their performances.
Heidi Saario can be heard on her CDs “Jean Sibelius-Compositions for Piano”, and, as part of Duo Freya, “Diamonds of the North-Songs from Scandinavia” with soprano Cindy Koistinen. Erich Buchholz sings the role of Fridolin in “The Rose of Stambul” by Leo Fall, a production on the Naxos label with Chicago Folks Operetta.
The richness of Finnish song repertoire is deep, with its stark and expressive poetry, and music that breathes a new life into the poems with moods that are at times pastoral and folk-like, turning brooding, romantic, imbued with a profound connection to the natural world. In the songs you hear bird calls, the sea, winds, snow-capped mountains. These musical images amplify the emotions and complexity of human experience captured in the poetry of L. Onerva, Eino Leino, Hilja Haahti, J. H. Erkko, A. V. Koskimies, Severi Nyman, and the folk poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot. Heidi and Erich are passionate about bringing this exceptional repertoire to more audiences in the USA and abroad. Complete texts and translations are provided at each of their performances.
Heidi Saario can be heard on her CDs “Jean Sibelius-Compositions for Piano”, and, as part of Duo Freya, “Diamonds of the North-Songs from Scandinavia” with soprano Cindy Koistinen. Erich Buchholz sings the role of Fridolin in “The Rose of Stambul” by Leo Fall, a production on the Naxos label with Chicago Folks Operetta.
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