ESO Concert Announcement: Rajaton Sings Queen with the ESO- October 14, 2008

The Music of Queen

with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra &

Rajaton

Tuesday, October 14, 2008- 7:30pm

Edmonton, AB ’Ķ The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (ESO) is pleased to welcome back Finnish vocal sensation Rajaton. After dazzling their audience at their Winspear Centre debut in April, 2005, the Finnish a cappella group joined the ESO on June 10^th, 2008 for an exciting salute to ABBA. Fresh off the heels of that triumph, Rajaton returns to the ESO stage for another salute - this time, the towering power pop of Queen on Tuesday, October 14^th.

Edmonton Audiences will be dancing in the aisles at the North American premiere of this Tribute performance. Rajaton will be performing classic Queen hits such as We Will Rock You, Somebody to Love, Another One Bites the Dust and many more.

Rajaton consists of Essi Wuorela (soprano), Virpi Moskari (soprano), Soila Sariola (alto), Jussi Chydenius (bass), Hannu Lepola (tenor), and Ahti Paunu (baritone). The group struck gold with their first-ever album with accompaniment - Rajaton sings ABBA, recorded with the Lahti Symphony. The album sold platinum in Finland, and has become a worldwide cult hit. Joining Rajaton and the ESO will be conductor Jaakko Kuusisto.

Tickets for this performance are on-sale NOW. Ticket prices range from $36 to $53 (agency fees apply).

This is an ESO special presentation. For more information on Rajaton, please visit www.rajaton.net

Media Sponsors: the Edmonton Journal

Hotel Sponsor: The Westin Hotel Edmonton

Biographies

The Finnish word Rajaton translates as "boundless" ’Äì and that's precisely the right word to describe the way this vocal ensemble approaches music. The six-piece a cappella group has performed around the world at concert halls, churches, and jazz festivals, singing everything from spiritual music to pop hits. In fact, it's hard to imagine an audience that Rajaton could not reach with their music, or a type of music Rajaton could not make their own. Founded in Helsinki in 1997, Rajaton consists of Essi Wuorela (soprano), Virpi Moskari (soprano), Soila Sariola (alto), Jussi Chydenius (bass), Hannu Lepola (tenor), and Ahti Paunu (baritone). After several extensive tours, Rajaton has gained recognition and earned rave reviews across Europe. In recent years, the group has also made headways into the North American and Asian markets, with concerts in Canada, the U.S. and Korea among others.

In their native Finland, Rajaton are a bona fide pop phenomenon. In 2003, the group rose to no. 2 on the charts with their album Joulu ("Christmas"), a double-platinum-selling holiday collection featuring both original compositions and innovative versions of seasonal standards. In 2006, the album Rajaton sings ABBA with the Lahti Symphony Orchestra topped the charts in Finland in its release week and sold platinum in a month. It was the first album featuring other than a cappella songs, and also the first one consisting solely of cover material. Altogether, Rajaton have one double platinum, two platinum and five gold records in Finland and their albums have sold over 200,000 copies worldwide.

Local success has done little to diminish the group's ambition to bring their music to new audiences. Rajaton will continue to tour internationally, once again amazing all kinds of audiences with their combination of technical excellence, entertainment value, artistic depth ’Äì and pure passion for music.