The Finnish Owla String Quartet was founded in 1989 in the Oulu Concervatory. The four original members were graduates of the Madetoja Music High School. With the addition of the Dutch first violinist Jeroen Woudstra in the mid 1990's, the quartet gained a valuable international asset.
After the critically acclaimed debut concert in Oulu in 1990, the Owla Quartet has established itself as one of the rising young quartets in Europe. It has performed widely in Finland as well as in Europe, the US and Taiwan. However, an important goal to the Quartet is to perform as much as possible in it's home region ostrobothnia and in the Northern Finland. It performs regularly in it's hometown Oulu on "homestead" summer tours, in the Liminka International Music Camp as well as in local Art Galleries combining music and fine arts. Owla Quartet has also performed in Tampere, Helsinki and Kuhmo.
In 1990 the Owla Quartet performed in England for the first time. In 1992-93 it was the Graduate String Quartet in Residence in the Northern Illinois University studying with the Vermeer String Quartet. It gave concerts at the University and the surrounding areas, as well as Chicago and the East Coast. The quartet took part in the Soundfest Music festival and in 1994 was the Quartet in Residence at the Bowdoin Summer Music Festival. In Europe the Owla Quartet has performed in Orlando, Norrtälje and St.Foie de Grand Festivals as well as in Holland, England , Germany and France. It is the String Quartet in Residence at Festival du Haut Limousin in France.
In 1999 Owla Quartet celebrated it's 10 year anniversary with tours to Taiwan and France.The New Year Gala concerts at the chateau St.Martin le Mault were sold out and the Taiwanese concerts gained excellent response from the audiences.
The name Owla is from the earliest known documents of the trading post that became the city of Oulu. It means "flood water".
1999France: Festival du Haut Limousin; Festival de St.Foie de Grande; Chateau St.Martin le Mault Taiwan: Taipei, National Concert Hall; Keelung; Shin-Chu; Taichung; Peng-Hu; Ping-Dong1998 Limingan musiikkileiri: Liminka Church; Temmes Church. Terttu Jurvakainen Art Gallery, Muhos. Oulun Cathedral. Raahe Church1997 Oulu Art Museum. Terttu Jurvakainen Art Gallery, Muhos. Nallikari artcafe1996 Espoo Cultural center.Tulindberg Hall, Oulu. Kemi Jewel Gallery. Limingan musiikkileiri. Norrtälje Kammarmusikfestival, Sweden. Kuhmo Young Music festival1995 Oulu Art Museum. Tulindberg Hall, Oulu. Finlayson Church, Tampere. Sibelius-Akademy Chamber Music Hall, Helsinki. Holland: Orlando Festival; Aachen (Germany), Kerkrade ,Steenbergen.USA: Music Mountain, Connecticut.Soundfest, Massachusetts. England: Finnish Institute, London.1994 Tulindberg Hall, Oulu. Finlayson Church, Tampere. USA: Bowdoin Summer Music Festival, Maine. Soundfest, Massachusetts1993 Oulu Cathedral. Limingan musiikkileiri, Liminka Church.USA: Butell Memorial Concert Hall, Northern Illinois University. People's Music School, Chicago. Sandwich, IL. Soundfest, Massachusetts1992USA: Recital Hall, Northern Illinois University.Ellwood House, DeKalb, IL. Seurakuntakeskus, Kiiminki. Oulu Conservatory, library.Trinity Hospice, London, England.1991 Madingley Hall, Cambridge, England. Oulu Conservatory Commemoration Week, Tulindberg Hall. Aino Hirvonen & kni. 50th Anniversary Concert, Oulu. Finnish Red Cross Oulu Chapter Coffee Concert, Oulu.1990 City Hall, Oulu
1998 CD; Schubert: Death and the Maiden, Shostakovich: SQ no.6
1997 Demo tape: light classical
1996 Kokkonen kaveriksi - Concert-Lecture Series: Limingan musiikkileiri,
Oulu Concervatory, Kemi Jewel Gallery, Espoo Cultural Center
1995 Demotape: Ravel: SQ, Haydn: SQ Op.33 No.3, Shostakovich: SQ No.3
1995 Soundfest, chamber music instruction
1993 Bowdoin Summer Music Festival, String Quartet in Residence
1993 People's Music School, Chicago, Masterclass
1992-93 Northern Illinois University, String Quartet in Residence
Oulu Radio -concert broadcasts and interviews by Rauni Järvilehto ja Liisa Lääver
1992-93 Public Broadcasting System, WNIU 89.5 DeKalb, IL concert broadcasts
1992 BBC, London: interview by Essi Kiviranta
1990-91 Three live concerts with the Finnish Broadcasting System 1990 Choir Kiimingin Kiurut: St.Tuomas Church, Oulu, Kaukametsä Hall, Kajaani ja Ritarihuone, Helsingissä.
1995 Orlando Festival:Hatto Bayerle (Alban Berg Quartei),Sandor Devics. Soundfest: Colorado-kvartetti, Marc Johnson (Vermeer Quartet).
1994 Britten-Pears School, Aldeburgh; Valentin Erben and Tomas Kakuska (Alban Berg Quartet). Bowdoin Summer Music Festival: James Dunham (Cleveland Quartet) ja Samuel Roach (Juilliard Quartet).Soundfest: Colorado Quartet, Marc Johnson (Vermeer Quartet).
1993 Britten-Pears School: Valentin Erben (Alban Berg Quartet) ja Walter Levin (LaSalle Quartet).Britten-Pears School: Borodin Quartet. Soundfest: Colorado Quartet, Marc Johnson (Vermeer Quartet) ja James Dunham (Cleveland Quartet)
1992 Britten-Pears School: Borodin Quartet. Korsholman musiikkijuhlat: Borodin Quartet.
1991 Sibelius-Academy: Amadeus Quartet. Kuhmo Chamber Music: Keith Pascoe (Britten Quartet). Cambridge University: Alberni Quartet.
1990 Sibelius-Academy: Alberni Quartet. Kuhmo Chamber Music: Peter Manning (Britten Quartet)
1989 Kuhmo Chamber Music: Zoltan Gal (Keller Quartet)
Oulun kaupungin kulttuurilautakunta, Oulun Läänin taidetoimikunta,Taiteen keskustoimikunta, Tampereen kaupungin kulttuurivirasto, Vilho ja Lahja Koposen säätiö, Valistustalo Oy
Aldeburgh Foundation, Englanti, Bowdoin Summer Music Festival, Brunswick, Maine, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, Soundfest, Falmouth, Massachusetts