See how the master plays the organ - Guy Bovet, 80, returned to the Lahti Organ Week after years: \”The organ of the Cross Church is like an old friend\”

The annual Lahti International Organ Week has already been organized 50 times. Guy Bovet from Switzerland is one of the most frequently visited soloists at the event.

His playing skills are still top notch, and Bovet regularly gives concerts a few times a month in different parts of Europe.

– The Lahti Stristinkirkko organ is like an old good friend. They do everything required very well.

Guy Bovet’s travels to Finland began in the early 1970s, when he worked as a teacher at the summer organ seminar in Jyväskylä.

Organist Guy Bovet and director of Lahti Organ Week Aimo Känkänen at the city's reception in 2001. Bovet is wearing a white suit, both are laughing, Bovet is looking at the camera, Känkänen is slightly bowed and looks down and laughs. — Guy Bovet and the organ week’s long-time leader Aimo Känkänen at the reception of the city of Lahti in 2001.

– Aimo Känkänen was a warm, nice and interesting person, recalls Bovet.

Swiss organist Guy Bovet playing the organ of the Cross Church. The big organ can be seen as a whole with its big organ pipes, Bovet playing the organ on his back. — The Lahti Cross Church organ is like an old good friend to master organist Guy Bovet.

Guy Bovet still trains for two to three hours every day, if possible. There are four to six performances per month.

– It is twice less than before. First I got old and then lazy, smiles Bovet.

The economy sometimes rained badly

The economy of the Lahti organ week has been severely cold at times. Directors have made financial sacrifices, even from their own wallets, to keep the event alive. Kalevi Kiviniemi set the record here.

According to the history of Urkuviikko, from the activity reports, it can be calculated that the event benefited from Kalevi Kiviniemi’s patronage activities in total by more than 900,000 marks, i.e. around 150,000 euros.

Kiviniemi himself ends up with about a million FIM in his invoices, because according to him, he also didn’t get record royalties.

Kalevi Kiviniemi outside in front of the big windows of Ristinkirkko. Holds the leather jacket with his other hand, looks at the camera, sunglasses on his forehead. — Kalevi Kiviniemi, patron of Urkuviikkot, created a spectacular international career as an organist himself.

Organ playing in the traffic tunnel

Lahti’s international organ week is remembered, among other things, for the tunnel concerts in the Mustankallio traffic tunnel, many also remember the 2013 Motorga. It was a multi-artistic film concert for organ, motorcycle, electric guitar, string quartet, French horn, percussion and video art.

– I try to avoid things that are too daring, that take a lot of money and involve financial risk. In this regard, I am more cautious than my predecessor.

Pauli Pietiläinen, director of Lahti's International Organ Week, stands in front of Kirkkopuisto next to Ristinkirkko, looking towards the camera, wearing a little jacket. The park behind can be seen as a beautiful green light. — The current director Pauli Pietiläinen took charge of the Lahti Organ Week in 2017.

He says that, at least in the near future, there are no financial conditions for spectacular spectacles.

– Of course, the core is real organ music. I think the future of the event lies in that, states Pietiläinen.

Still, this year’s organ week offered something special at Lahti market, where the first World Championship organ pipe precision throwing competitions were thrown.

The Lahti International Organ Week ends on Sunday.