The head teachers of the Brass Academy are Harri Lidsle and Tanja Nisonen, who are joined by visiting teachers during the teaching periods. Get to know the Brass Academy teachers.
Harri Lidsle, tuba
Harri Lidsle has been a member of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra since 1990. In addition to orchestral concerts, Lidsle's career includes a considerable number of other concerts, with children's concerts being particularly close to his heart.
The children's concert series Tuubakimalainen (Tuba Bumblebee) and Konsertti tuli kylään (Concert came to visit) are the main elements of Lidsle's work in addition to his daily work with the orchestra. Lidsle produces and performs at about 100 concerts a year. The Tuubakimalainen concerts have already passed the milestone of 1000 concerts.
Lidsle is a well-known interpreter of contemporary music. He has premiered more than a hundred solo pieces. Many contemporary composers have written music for him. First in the alphabet are Kalevi Aho, Alexander Arutunian and Harri Ahmas.
Teaching young brass players is important to Lidsle. Between 2012 and 2015 he led the Brass Academy, supported by the Finnish Cultural Foundation. More than 90 young players from all over Finland took part in the Brass Academy courses.
During his career, Lidsle has also found time to develop instruments with manufacturers, organise the International Tuba and Euphonium Conference, and work as a jury member for several international brass competitions.
Lidsle was named Brass Player of the Year at the 1997 Lieksa Brass Week.
Tanja Nisonen, French horn
Tanja Nisonen has been Assistant Principal Horn of the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra since 2003. In addition to her work as an orchestral musician, Nisonen performs extensively as a chamber musician and soloist.
In addition to chamber music festivals in her home country, Nisonen has performed in the UK, Sweden, Germany, Spain, and Norway. As a soloist she has performed in Turku, Lappeenranta, Joensuu, and Jyväskylä, and in the spring of 2024 in Pori. Several composers have written music for Nisonen, including Leif Segerstam, Timo-Juhani Kyllönen, Jukka Harju, and Mari Sainio.
Tanja Nisonen is currently a doctoral student at the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts, where she is working on her dissertation on women composers for French horn.
Teaching is very important to Nisonen. Since 2010 she has been a lecturer in French horn at the Turku Academy of Arts. Nisonen has given master classes at various French horn events in Finland and abroad.
Nisonen has also been the president of the Finnish French Horn Club for several years. In this position she has had the opportunity to organise the Nordic French Horn Seminar 2023 and to participate in the development of Finnish French horn playing. The activities of the Brass Academy are an inspiring continuation of this work.
Nisonen likes to spend her free time at her summer cottage in Tammela with her family and her dog Churro.