Oulu Music Festival 2009 was the first for the new artistic director Niko Kumpuvaara. The theme of the festival was elemental forces, and the concerts included both great spectacles and intimate atmosphere.
The program included Astor Piazzolla’s tango operita Maria de Buenos Aires, two symphony concerts, a series of chamber music concerts, a folk music concert by harmonica quartet Sväng, and Oulu All Star Big Band with guest star trumpeters Verneri Pohjola and Dan Johansson.