PIAF!
Vaasa & Seinäjoki City Orchestras
cond. Nick Davies
sol. Valérie Gabail, soprano
Petri Ikkelä, bandoneon
Seppo Kantonen, piano
arr. Timo Hietala
Non, je ne regrette rien, Hymne à l’amour, La Vie en rose. Milord, Padam, padam…and more.
Three years ago, the French soprano Valérie Gabail captivated the audience in Vaasa and lovers of chanson with her emotionally charged interpretations of the classic songs of Édith Piaf, where emotions blaze and love constantly balance on the edge of a knife. It is no surprise that the concert left many listeners hoping for a return performance, and now that wish will be fulfilled in a joint concert with Seinäjoen kaupunginorkesteri. With Nick Davies, a master of the subtleties of light music, serving as master of ceremonies, the concert becomes an intoxicating and enchanting journey back in time to the music salons of Montparnasse in Paris and the golden age of chanson.
Program
- Paris Overture I (instrumental)
- Sous le ciel de Paris
- Mon manège à moi
- L’accordéoniste
- Les mots d’amour
- Siks oon mä suruinen
- La Foule
-Interval-
- Paris Overture II (instrumental)
- La Vie en Rose 2222 -2210
- L’Homme à la moto
- Mon Dieu
- Milord
- Hymne à l’Amour
Artists
Nick Davies, cond.
After studying at the Royal College of Music in London, Nick Davies began his conducting career in 1986 in London’s prestigious West End conducting numerous musical theatre productions. He made his symphonic debut in 1991 with the world renowned Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with whom he remains a regular guest conductor. Since January 2011 he has held the post of Chief Conductor for Vantaa Pops Orchestra in Finland.
Notably, Davies is a regular guest conductor of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra and with them, has had the honour to conduct the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo annually between 2007 and 2017. His vast experience has developed through his work as a conductor, extensively throughout Scandinavia and with numerous leading European orchestras.
Work further afield includes the Orchestra of the Central Opera Company of Beijing, Hong Kong Philharmonic and Hong Kong Sinfonietta. In 2009 Davies made his Australian debut conducting the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and has since returned to conduct the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony and Western Australia Symphony in Perth. He has conducted for New York City Opera and has worked for more than 15 years at Gothenburg Opera.
In 2015 Davies made his debut at Finnish National Opera where he continues a close relationship with numerous productions planned over the coming years. He also conducted the Classic BRIT Awards 2018.
Valerie Gabail, solist, sopran
French soprano Valérie Gabail began her musical journey at the age of 15 with vocal jazz and musical theatre before dedicating herself to the classical and Baroque repertoire. She has performed with prestigious ensembles and conductors and was nominated in 2006 for the Victoires de la Musique Classique in the category Révélation lyrique.
Driven by a curiosity for new artistic territories, she has collaborated with composers and artists such as Kaija Saariaho, John Greaves, Olivier Mellano and Benjamin Biolay. A graduate in voice pedagogy from the Royal Central School in London, she founded her own vocal coaching practice and, in 2023, was appointed professor of vocal technique at the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles.
In the 2023–24 season she performed the role of Domina at the Lido Paris in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum by Stephen Sondheim. In 2025–26 she performs the role of Yvonne Garnier in The Demoiselles de Rochefort at the Lido Paris. In 2025, together with pianist Édouard Ferlet, she founded the VLAC! (Val de Loire Academy), a centre for musical education and artistic residencies.
Upcoming collaborations include jazz concerts in Paris, alongside David Marino and symphonic recitals dedicated to Edith Piaf in Finland.
Petri Ikkelä, bandoneon
Petri Ikkelä is a Finnish accordion artist known as an exceptionally versatile musician, composer, arranger, and educator. He masters several different types of accordions as well as the bandoneon and concertina, and his work brings together folk music, classical music, popular music, and tango. Ikkelä has worked extensively as both a concert and studio musician and has collaborated with a large number of Finnish artists and ensembles.
During his long career, Ikkelä has performed as a soloist and orchestral musician both in Finland and internationally, across Europe, the Nordic countries, the United States, and Asia. Today, he is particularly known as an interpreter of Argentine tango and world music, as well as through ensembles such as the Jorma Uotinen Band, Sakari Kuosmanen Band, and Taljanka. His achievements include winning the title of Finnish Folk Music Champion and first prize in the accordion competition at the National Youth Arts Event.
Seppo Kantonen, piano
Seppo Kantonen has been active as a musician since 1982 and has appeared on hundreds of recordings while performing in concerts around the world. He works as a versatile freelance musician and has collaborated with many of the leading figures in Finnish jazz, including Eero Koivistoinen, Pekka Pohjola, Mikko Innanen, UMO, and Juhani Aaltonen. He currently performs in several ensembles, including the Seppo Kantonen Trio, Seppo Kantonen Quintet, and Kahden Miehen Galaksi.
In addition to his career as a musician, Kantonen is also active as a composer, arranger, and part-time lecturer at the Sibelius Academy. He has composed and arranged music for, among others, the Lapland Chamber Orchestra and UMO, and his commissioned work Bias premiered at the Tampere Jazz Happening in 2022.
Among the distinctions Kantonen has received are the Finnish Jazz Federation’s Yrjö Award, as well as several working grants from the Finnish Cultural Foundation and state artist grants.