Mystery Variations was a gift for the 50th birthday of Anssi Karttunen, masterminded by Kaija Saariaho and Muriel von Braun. They invited a number of composers to write short pieces for cello, using as a theme the first ever piece written for the cello, the Chiacona by Giuseppe Colombi.

The resulting 31 pieces were bound into one book by Chester Music and presented to Anssi. He premiered the 9 Finnish Variations in Helsinki on the 26th of September 2010 and 7 more in Paris on the 30th of September, his 50th birthday. More performances of the Variations followed in Strasbourg, Porto, Amsterdam, New York and San Francisco.

The first complete Mystery Variations performance took place in Paris the in February 2011 at the Théâtre du Châtelet during the Festival Présences. On 27th of June 2011 Anssi performed the complete cycle together with the six cellists of Creative Dialogue IV in Santa Fe to a captivated audience.

A selection with choreography by Diana Theocharidis is to be premiered in La Plata, Argentina in October 2011.

The Mystery Variations offer a unique look at the numerous ways of writing for the cello today. It is a kaleidoscopic look into the history through the eyes of 30 composers, and a look into the future through the music of Colombi. They can be programmed in many combinations, in small or large groups or as a whole concert.

Helsinki, 26.9.2010: K Saariaho, K Hakola, P Heininen, AK, VM Puumala, J-B Barrière, J Tiensuu, T Tuomela, J Kaipainen.

Paris 30.9.2010: K Saariaho, P Ortiz, M Matalon, B Jolas, G Dazzi, AK, D Cohen.

MYSTERY VARIATIONS - The Amsterdam Concert 11.11.2010:

Giuseppe Colombi: Chiacona

02:47 Jouni Kaipainen: Anything Goes

05:15 Pascal Dusapin: 50 Notes en 3 Variations

07:12 Tan Dun: Chiacone - after Colombi

09:02 Kaija Saariaho: Dreaming Chaconne

11:58 Jukka Tiensuu: bLeuelein

15:06 Fred Lerdahl: There and Back Again

18:45 Pablo Ortiz: paloma

21:02 Luca Francesconi: Anssimmetry  

23:32 Martin Matalon: Para Anssi

24:35 Magnus Lindberg: Duello

28:00- Interview