Artelize - A Symphony of Seasons: Exploring Tapiola Sinfonietta's Autumn Performances
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A Symphony of Seasons: Exploring Tapiola Sinfonietta's Autumn Performances

Embark on a musical journey with Tapiola Sinfonietta as it unveils a dynamic lineup for its autumn season at the Espoo Cultural Centre. From the romantic overtures of Elina Vähälä to the enchanting recitals of Angela Hewitt, the season promises an eclectic mix of creativity and mastery. Audiences will witness world premieres, historic retrospectives, and innovative interpretations, each promising to captivate and inspire. Whether you're an aficionado of classical masterpieces or contemporary compositions, this season beckons with its rich tapestry of sound and storytelling.

Jul 7, 2025
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1. Heartbeat
The Tapiola Sinfonietta's autumn season opens on a romantic note. Elina Vähälä, one of our country's most internationally successful instrumental soloists, interprets Max Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1, the immense popularity of which the composer tried in vain to achieve in his later concerts. Andrew Manze became known as one of the most respected baroque violinists of our time before taking up the baton with a completely different repertoire.
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Sep 4, 2025
Tapiola Sinffonietta

Espoo · Espoo Cultural Centre

2. PianoEspoo: Angela Hewitt
Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt is known for her interpretations of Bach, and Bach is also available in PianoEspoo's extensive selection. Bach's Piano Concerto in G minor may sound familiar, as it is the composer's arrangement of his Violin Concerto in A minor. In 1784, Mozart did not hesitate to advertise his quintet for piano and wind instruments to his father: "The best work I have composed so far". Many could argue that the C major concerto, completed the following year with its charming slow movements, surpasses even that.
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Sep 19, 2025
Tapiola Sinffonietta

Espoo · Espoo Cultural Centre

3. Sleep or Trauma
Music sometimes contains composers' secrets that are not meant for everyone to hear. Shostakovich performs his first cello concerto with his D-Es-CH theme formed from his initials, but in the finale, Stalin begins to taunt him with his favorite tune. Schubert left his B minor symphony unfinished, even though he tried for a long time to come up with a sequel to it. Recent research reveals that the work may have been intentionally "Unfinished". The text written by Schubert around the same time tells of a difficult family crisis, the painful memories of which are reflected in two movements of the symphony. In the Cortége by Sibelius Prize-winning Sir Harrison Birtwistle, the musicians perform a mysterious ritual in front of the audience.
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Sep 25, 2025
Tapiola Sinffonietta

Espoo · Espoo Cultural Centre

4. After Work Special: Kapu class
Future stars studying in the Sibelius Academy's conducting class will lead the Tapiola Sinfonietta in an After Work Special concert. After the concert, the first Piano Classics sequels of the season will take place in Tapiola Hall.
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Oct 2, 2025
Tapiola Sinffonietta

Espoo · Espoo Cultural Centre

5. ISAAC
Michael Collins, one of the world's leading clarinet artists, will bring a world premiere performance by Sally Beamish.
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Oct 9, 2025
Tapiola Sinffonietta

Espoo · Espoo Cultural Centre

6. Hallucination
It is rare to witness a public execution and the subsequent “dream of a severed head” in a concert, but Hector Berlioz’s Symphony No. 1 does. Of course, it is all fantasy, but reality was more wonderful than fiction. In the symphony, Berlioz murders his love, the English actress Harriet Smithson, but years later married her. Michael Drapkin has reduced the orchestra in his arrangement, but not much emotion. Canadian-Finnish composer Matthew Whittall’s new oboe concerto is tailored for the brilliant oboe principal of the Tapiola Sinfonietta, Anni Haapaniemi. Whittall was inspired by the contrast between light and shadow in his composition, which also served as the starting point for the visual design of the concert.
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Oct 23, 2025
Tapiola Sinffonietta

Espoo · Espoo Cultural Centre

7. Irina & Beethoven – Finale
Irina Zahharenkova’s period as artist-in-residence at Tapiola Sinfonietta and interpreter of Beethoven’s piano concertos ends majestically with the “Emperor Concerto”. Beethoven famously did not care for emperors and received the additional title of the fifth and final piano concerto from the publisher. The title is not misleading, however, as it reminds us of the composer’s competence as a master of musical linear tactics. The “Sixth” piano concerto is Beethoven’s own arrangement of an earlier violin concerto. The cadenzas composed for it and everything that Beethoven invented for the left hand make the work interesting. Zahharenkova has built a personal and inspired whole from the piano concertos.
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Oct 30, 2025
Tapiola Sinffonietta

Espoo · Espoo Cultural Centre

8. A soldier's story
“At the end of the concert, half the audience clapped their hands, the other half hissed in disapproval. There were even those who hissed and clapped at the same time.”
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Nov 13, 2025
Tapiola Sinffonietta

Espoo · Espoo Cultural Centre

9. Scandal concert
In March 1913, Arnold Schönberg conducted a musical program at the Vienna Musikverein, which was later called the “scandal concert.” The program included his Chamber Symphony No. 1, Op. 9, a wall-breaker in the prevailing musical order. In addition, Gustav Mahler’s Kindertotenlied and Alban Berg’s songs to poems written on landscape postcards by the Bohemian poet Peter Altenberg were heard. A general uproar broke out during the Altenberg songs, and supporters and opponents of the modernists clashed.
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Nov 20, 2025
Tapiola Sinffonietta

Espoo · Espoo Cultural Centre

10. Bad influences
Jazz was condemned by the art music audience in the early 20th century, but that did not stop composers from being inspired by jazz rhythms and sounds.
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Nov 27, 2025
Tapiola Sinffonietta

Espoo · Espoo Cultural Centre

Conclusion
The autumn season at Tapiola Sinfonietta is a testament to the transformative power of music. Each concert offers a unique blend of tradition and innovation, inviting audiences to embark on a journey of discovery and reflection. Whether through the emotive narratives of Shostakovich, the timeless elegance of Beethoven, or the boundary-pushing compositions of Beamish, this season promises unforgettable experiences. Join us as we celebrate the artistry and vision of musicians who continue to shape the cultural landscape.
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