The Joy of Guitar! is all about Finnish folk music. This spectacular show is performed by children and young guitarists and dancers together with the greatest stars of the venue! Music, dance and songs takes us to the roots of Finnish culture.

Performers: Jorma Uotinen (dance), Pauli Hanhiniemi (vocal), Piia Kleemola (violin), Puhti-duo: Anne-Mari Kivimäki (accordeon) and Reetta-Kaisa Iles (dance), Olli Varis (mandolin), Otto Tolonen (guitar), Dancers of Tampere conservatory and 100 Guitar Orchestra.

Producer: Tomi Tolvanen
Director: Sina Kujansuu
Conductor: Kimmo Kiviniemi
Dramaturg: Maikki Mykkänen, Katriina Kantola, Liina Siimes
Choreography: Jorma Uotinen, Katriina Kantola, Liina Siimes
Costumier: Sanna Kontio
Light Engineer: Joonas Tikkanen
Stage Manager: Olli Kanerva
Music: arrangements of Finnish folk music pieces and new compositions (Arrangements: Kari Jämbäck, Antero Laurila, Ilkka Hammo, Veli Salonen. Compositions: Paavo Korpijaakko, Roope Mäenpää, Eelis Hyvärinen)

Jorma Uotinen is a famous Finnish dancer and choreographer. His career as a dancer began in 1970 in the Finnish National Ballet. In 1976 Uotinen started dancing in Groupe de reserche Theatrales de l'Opera de Paris in France.

Uotinen has worked as artistic director of the Helsinki City Theatre Dance Company (1982–1991), the Finnish National Ballet (1992–2001) and the Kuopio Dance Festival (2002–). He has worked as a choreographer and dance teacher in several countries in Europe. Uotinen's undeniable skills and dedication have earned him several national and international awards such as Prix d'Italie and Officier des Arts et Lettres.

During the last decade Uotinen has expanded his artistic repertoire to include singing. Uotinen has been a much-loved performer in Finland for over thirty years, but he has become even more popular since appearing as a judge on the Finnish version of Strictly Come Dancing (Dancing with the Stars).

Pauli Hanhiniemi shot to fame in the 1980s as the vocalist and lyricist of a Finnish rock band Kolmas Nainen. The band split up in 1994, and after that Hanhiniemi continued to make music in different ensembles. Kolmas Nainen also made a comeback last year and released a new album.

One of Hanhiniemi's recent projects is an orchestra called Hehkumo. Their music combines traditional Finnish folk music with more modern rhythms.

Hanhiniemi is one of the most popular song lyricists in Finland, and he often writes lyrics to other artists and bands as well. A versatile performer, Hanhiniemi has also taken to acting. His most recent role is that of George Harrison in a popular musical The Beatles Story at Music Theatre Palatsi in Tampere.

In 2001 Anne-Mari Kivimäki was preparing her final concert for the Department of Folk Music at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland. The concert was to be based on Karelian traditions and Anne-Mari was being mentored by accordionist Maria Kalaniemi. Anne-Mari was researching the archives of the Finnish Literature Society when she fell in love with their tapes of accordionist Ilja Kotikallio. On the tapes Ilja talked about illatsus, Karelian festive evenings that, in addition to music, included dancing and merriment as a central part of the festivities. This gave Anne-Mari the incentive to ask choreographer Reetta-Kaisa Iles, who had graduated as a dancer from the Theater Academy of Finland, to join her in her concerts. They both shared a love and interest for the Karelian tradition of music and dance. After the first concerts Reetta-Kaisa and Anne-Mari realized that they worked extremely well together and decided to continue their work with the Karelian style as a duo they named Puhti – meaning vigor in old Finnish. This marked the beginning of their journey together, during which Puhti has created a vast amount of new Finnish folk music and dance.

Piia Kleemola is an experienced Finnish musician and pedagogue who plays violin, viola, Finnish zither (kantele) and bowed harp (jouhikko). She is a versatile artist whose projects have included music, dance and theatre. Currently she is preparing her doctoral artistic work at the Sibelius Academy Folk Music Department. Her work concentrates on both traditional Finnish fiddling and new compositions. Piia Kleemola works as a musician in different ensembles, such as Pauli Hanhiniemi & Hehkumo, Henriksson-Kleemola-Prauda and Hyperborea.

Guitarist Olli Varis has worked with folk groups in Finland for 25 years, including the first incarnation of Värttinä, a folk music group that has been successful both in Finland and internationally. Subsequent projects, including comprehensive work at Sibelius Academy Folk Music Department, include Aldargaz, Bellow Poetry, Maria Kalaniemi trio, Helsinki Mandoliners, Ettone and Trepaanit. Varis is responsible for the guitar sounds on the exquisite Aldargaz albums "Iho" and "Ahma". He has released a CD/notebook for folk tunes on guitar and has produced and engineered albums by Finnish folk artists.

100 Guitar Orchestra consists of acoustic guitar players of different ages and levels. It will perform annually at the guitar festival and aims to bring together all kinds of guitarists from kids and youngsters to students and professionals from different countries. This will provide an exciting and unique experience for the audience. This year the orchestra will perform for the first time.