NEWS RELEASE
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
MAY 18, 2010
Kirk House Publishers
Leonard Flachman, Publisher
PO Box 390759, Minneapolis, Minnesota
publisher@kirkhouse.com
952-835-1828
Vänskä Biography Garners Two Book Awards
Osmo Vänskä, Orchestra Builder (Kirk House Publishers, 978-1-933794-20-4, $45.00),
is winner of two 2010 book awards. The International Book Awards has acknowledged
the excellence of the book by declaring it the winner in the Biography category. Also, the
coffee table biography was named a finalist in the Arts category of the Midwest Book
Awards competition.
The 2010 International Book Awards is new awards program to shed fresh light
on national and international voices that deserve media and industry recognition! Over
300 winners and finalists were announced in over 140 categories covering print and audio
books.
The 20th annual Midwest Independent Publishers Book Awards recognizes
creativity in content and execution, overall book quality, and the book’s unique
contribution to its subject area.
The award winning coffee table biography, Osmo Vänskä, Orchestra Builder,
stands out in many areas. While most biographies document the life and work of a
deceased artist, this book is an exciting departure in that it presents the dynamic career
and world-wide acclamations of a living orchestra conductor. Former Minneapolis
StarTribune columnist, Michael Anthony, draws on his vast musical acumen to provide a
superb integrity to his portrayal of Vänskä’s conducting training and skills. Anthony’s
pursuit of the story led him through Finland’s music culture and through the backstage
activities of the Minnesota Orchestra.
The spectacular photography of the Minnesota Orchestra photographers Gregg
Helgeson and Ann Marsden adds an intimate glimpse of the conductor that one does not
get from an eighteenth row orchestra seat. Helgeson’s exciting action photographs and
Marsden’s dramatic portrait photography contribute a great visual dimension to the
biography, making the book unique in the biography genre.
A coffee table biography is a new venture in biography publishing. The brainchild
of publisher, Leonard Flachman, the idea was so unique that it took him nearly two years
to obtain Vänskä’s agreement to be the subject of the book.
Along with the account of Osmo Vänskä’s assent to the world stage is a seldom
seen perspective on the workings of a major orchestra and of the intricacies of recording
a world class CD.
The book is published by Kirk House Publishers, Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is
available at www.kirkhouse.com, via 1-888-696-1828, Fax 952-835-2613, and through
booksellers everywhere.
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Osmo Vänskä: Orchestra Builder
11” x 9.5” • 136 pages • Hardbound
978-1-933794-20-4 • $45.00
Kirk House Publishers, PO Box 390759, Minneapolis, MN 55439
www.kirkhouse.com • 952-835-1828
Osmo Vänskä
612-371-5678 • mpelton@mnorch.org
Michael Anthony
612-341-80
• mikeanthony25@comcast.net
Greg Helgeson
952-920-1995 • ghelgeson@comcast.net
Ann Marsden
612-834-2662 • annmarsden@earthlink.net
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