Composer

Conductor Anna-Maria Helsing presents an evening of music sparkling with love’s many facets. Relive one of the greatest love stories ever told through Sergei Prokofiev’s ballet suite inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Named as “simply one of the best classical pianists working today” by The Scotland Herald, Vadym Kholodenko presents Béla Bartók’s radiant Third Piano Concerto. The late Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho’s evocative Lumière et pesanteur (Light and Gravity) scintillates with celestial beauty. Embark on an enchanted quest for love in Prokofiev’s orchestral suite for his comic opera, The Love for Three Oranges.

EPSG:4326

Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet

Orpheum

The always-evolving Met Orchestra Chamber Ensemble features musicians from the legendary Met Orchestra in a variety of unique programs. Together, along with special guest artists from the Metropolitan Opera and beyond, they explore a boundless world of chamber music, adapting to fit the instrumental needs of any piece—from all-time classics to hard-to-find hidden gems and standout works by many of today’s significant composers. In this wide-ranging program, they perform Brahms’s Sextet No. 2, and distinctive works by Saariaho and Paul Frucht.

The Met Orchestra Chamber Ensemble 2026 Concert 5

Carnegie Hall

Shostakovich, Saariaho, and Brahms

Curtis Institute of Music

Luiz Fernando Venturelli, cello

Northwestern Bienen School of Music

Lose yourself in the haunting beauty of Kaija Saariaho’s Vers toi qui es si loin from L’Amour de Loin, a breathtaking tale of love, longing, and destiny. Then, be moved by the depth and drama of Carlisle Floyd’s Pilgrimage, a stirring cantata inspired by biblical texts. This is more than a concert—it’s a journey through passion, faith, and the human spirit.

Pilgrimage: An Immersive Opera Experience

New Marigny Theatre

At the Paliesius Manor – talented pianist Morta Grigaliūnaitė and music by Finnish composers! The axis of this program – the piano work of one of the most important Finnish composers of the last century, Einojuhanos Rautavaara (1928–2016). Often called a mystic, Rautavaara drew inspiration from literature, religion, philosophy and his own dreams and childhood memories. This is illustrated by such titles of works as "The Gift of Dreams", "The Sermon on Fire" and "The Angel of Light". At the same time, Rautavaara perfectly understood the inner world of man and its nuances. The composer's creative process involved a constant search for different means of expression, maneuvering between the intangible world and the need for virtuoso expression by the performer.

Morta Grigaliūnaitė (piano, Lithuania)

Paliesius Manor

Odense Symphony Orchestra commemorates two giants in the Nordic classical music scene when, on the same evening, we play Per Nørgård's mysterious masterpiece with one of the most beautiful titles in music history, as well as Kaija Saariaho's sonorous transformation sphere of musical reflections in a purely Nordic concert that also features Sibelius's last symphony. A work that, in one long movement, transforms the symphony as a genre – into an organic, ever-changing sound universe. In other words, a journey is set to take place both into ourselves and into the most wondrous corners of music, when three of the Nordic greatest composers stand side by side in tonight's program.

NØRGÅRD & SIBELIUS' 7th.

Odense Concert Hall

Embark on an epic journey with Richard Strauss’s tone poem Also sprach Zarathustra, featuring one of the best-known openings in all of classical music thanks to its use at the beginning of the film “2001: A Space Odyssey.” This iconic piece, based on Friedrich Nietzsche’s novel, charts the philosophical journey of the title character and progresses through longing, joy and passion, with songs of the grave, the dance and the night along the way. This program also highlights French composer Camille Saint-Saëns’s First Cello Concerto, a masterwork of orchestration where the solo cello always shines through.

Saint-Saëns' First Cello Concerto and Strauss

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Curtis Opera Theatre and Curtis New Music Ensemble present La Passion de Simone, a mesmerizing meditation on faith, sacrifice, and resistance by Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho and librettist Amin Maalouf. Subtitled “A Musical Journey in 15 Stations,” this opera-oratorio explores the life and writings of Simone Weil, the radical French philosopher and activist whose pursuit of justice shaped 20th-century thought.

La Passion de Simone

Philadelphia Film Society Center

The words of the immortal bard find new meaning in chamber music by Saariaho and Stravinsky. Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel—sister to Felix—proves there were two child prodigies in the family with this delightful Quartet, written when she was just 16 years old.  

Serenading the Tempest

New World Center

Claire Chase, “a rare combination of grace and guts” (The Wall Street Journal), joins Fellows to perform works born from Density 2036, her groundbreaking commissioning project that reimagines flute literature over a quarter-century.

Saariaho, Riley & Bach

Pianist Yuja Wang joins forces with conductor and composer Thomas Adès in a dramatic piano concerto by the Finnish luminary Einojuhani Rautavaara. Adès also leads Saariaho’s Oltra mar — an ethereal meditation on love, time, and death — as well as Ives’s Orchestral Set No. 2 and America (A Prophecy), Adès’s own foreboding view of our nation’s fate.

Yuja Wang & Thomas Adès

David Geffen Hall

A cold and glassy opener, Saariaho’s Winter Sky emanates the clarity, sense of mystery and ethereal beauty of a clear sky on a winter’s day. Next, to Lili Boulanger’s d’un matin de printemps which effortlessly captures the fresh energy of a spring morning. Representing summer, Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream captures the frivolous nature of the mischievous Puck, causing havoc during a hot summer night. Finally, Grieg’s In Autumn conjures a sweeping storm with bold brass breaking through the clouds.

Four Seasons in a Day

MediaCityUK

The Columbia University Orchestra with music director and conductor Jeffrey Milarsky returns to Symphony Space for their Fall concert: The Exploration of Sound and Space. The program opens with Lumière et pesanteur composed by Kaija Saariaho who tactfully explores simple melodies and turns them into exotic and malleable textures. Gustav Mahler’s Symphony #10 is a statement of past and future—desperately clinging to traditional romanticism while pressing toward the future. The concert concludes with Edward Elgar’s deeply personal work Enigma Variations which expresses his elegantly poetic and powerful personality through a series of dedicated variations.

The Columbia University Orchestra

Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Symphony Space

Kaija Saariaho’s Terra Memoria reflects on memory and change, evoking landscapes both personal and physical, while Wadada Leo Smith’s String Quartet No. 5 (In the Diaspora: Earthquakes and Sunrise Missions) conjures the forces of upheaval and renewal. In Warblework, Cassandra Miller transforms the intricate songs of North American thrushes into layered, weaving lines that blur the boundaries between human and avian voices. John Luther Adams’ The Wind in High Places turns string instruments into an aeolian harp, evoking vast, windswept landscapes. The programme also includes a brand new commission by London based composer Blasio Kavuma.

Ligeti Quartet: Sunrise Missions

Milton Court Concert Hall

Leading Finnish composer Lotta Wennäkoski takes an innovative approach to contemporary chamber music, blending intricate textures and bold sonic explorations. Academy instrumentalists bring her distinctive sound to life.

Composer In Residence: Academy Manson Ensemble

Royal Academy of Music

Henry Lewis is a pianist known for his original and thoughtful approach, performing internationally as both a soloist and chamber musician.

Henry Lewis piano

The Bridgewater Hall

Step into a world where science, art, and music converge in What Music Is, a transformative concert-theatre experience that explores the profound role music plays in our lives and the universe. Created by composer Bill Barclay, this immersive, family-friendly performance features a full orchestra, captivating spoken narrative, and stunning animations that bring to life the universal language of music.

What Music Is

Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center

Sensational South Korean-German violinist Clara-Jumi Kang performs Sibelius’ thrilling yet torturous ode to a failed career as a concert soloist. Brahms’ mighty and masterful first symphony also features on the program.

Sibelius & Brahms

Michigan Theater

Ten years after Luc Brewaeys’ passing, conductor Baldur Brönnimann revisits his Seventh Symphony, written for the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra nearly 25 years ago. A unique sound adventure unfolds, highlighting Brewaeys’ mastery of timbre and spectralism. This innovative movement, which he shared with Kaija Saariaho, echoes in her violin concerto Graal théâtre, performed by Benjamin Beilman. The programme links back to Claude Debussy, a spectralist inspiration, whose La mer embodies shimmering brilliance. Brewaeys’ recomposition of Debussy’s Préludes completes the circle.

Beilman & Brewaeys

Queen Elisabeth Hall

Music by Kaija Saariaho, Caroline Shaw, Sam Wu, Fabien Waksman, David Baker, and Robert Schumann.

Schumann, Saariaho & More

First Presbyterian Church of Santa Monica

Chamber Music OC

Music Academy of the West

Steinway Piano Gallery

Join MSO and two of the Nordics' great composers on a journey across the full range of the clarinet and the powerful beats of the snare drum, bringing hope for freedom.

Saariaho & Nielsen

Malmö Concert Hall

Shifting Ground weaves together pieces for solo violin and violin/electronics by J.S. Bach and composers of other eras to form a program with dramatic arc, flow, and scope. Violinist Alexi Kenney's creative forces are combined with new media artist Xuan in an immersive multidisciplinary program that joins solo violin works from the 18th to 21st centuries with boundary-pushing projection art. Music by J.S. Bach and Nicola Matteis flows seamlessly into works by new voices such as Rafiq Bhatia and Angélica Negrón, as Xuan conjures immersive, imaginative landscapes in response.

Shifting Ground

Be swept away into an enchanting evening full of rich orchestral textures and evocative musical storytelling. The evening unfolds with the lush, dreamlike landscapes of Debussy’s Nocturnes. Each movement paints an impressionistic picture: slow-moving clouds, vibrant festivals, and the mysterious voices of Sirens, portrayed by the voices of the Columbus Symphony Women’s Chorus. Kaija Saariaho’s Vers toi qui es si loin is a haunting exploration of longing and connection to what lies beyond our human existence. Finally, escape into the exotic musical landscapes of Rimsky-Korsakov’s colorfully orchestrated Scheherazade. Melodic tales of adventure and intrigue are brought to life featuring concertmaster Joanna Frankel as the “voice” of the Arabian princess Sheherazade weaving fairy tales for 1001 nights.

Scheherazade

Ohio Theatre

Pia Segerstam, principal cellist of the Montpellier National Orchestra, and Héloïse Dautry, concert pianist and harp professor at the Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole Regional Conservatory, take us on a musical journey, a mixture of fantasy, meditation, and reverie.

Cello/harp duo

Music and movement are doorways to spiritual experience. Enter the Shakers. A radical Protestant sect with roots in 18th-century Northern England, they harnessed this power for holy connection and transcendence. American minimalist composer John Adams pays homage to their frenzied worship and ecstatic energy in the high-octane Shaker Loops.

Manchester Collective: Shaker Loops

Southbank Centre

Stacey Pelinka, Berkeley Symphony’s second flutist, presents Connections, which builds upon the community of composers, living and not. Through this program, you’ll meet familiar faces and meet some new ones, all of whom will make you feel like you’re reuniting with long-lost friends. Stacey’s contemporary chamber music expertise shines in Connections, as she has been a key artistic member of ensembles such as the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble and as a founding member of Eco Ensemble.

Connections

Piedmont Center for the Arts

With Kaija Saariaho, the central artist portrait is once again dedicated to an internationally acclaimed composer. The "Lichtbogen" from 1985-86 is indisputably one of her major works. With the finest instrumentation techniques and occasional use of electronics, she achieves astonishing effects that cover the entire spectrum from delicate shimmer to powerful laser beams. The electronic tools for the "Lichtbogen" were created at the Paris IRCAM, whose founding father is rightly considered to be Pierre Boulez. His birthday will be the 100th anniversary in 2025, and so the festival is also paying homage to him with the performance of "sur Incises", which is so rarely heard due to its unusual instrumentation - last in the Philharmonie in 1999.

Museum Ludwig

In order to get to know the sound down to its most mysterious ramifications, Kaija Saariaho simply put it "under the microscope". In 2023, the great Finnish composer died in her adopted home of Paris. Together with violinist Carolin Widmann, the SWR Symphony Orchestra remembers this magician of intermediate and microtones.

Carolin Widmann | SWR Symphony Orchestra | Bas Wiegers

I long for the Alps / This is how the lakes are created (2022/2025)
for soprano, speaker, electronics and large orchestra based on a text by Händl Klaus

Music of the Time - Man / Woman / Unicorn / Lakes | EIGHT BRIDGES | Music for Cologne

Cologne Philharmonie

A song of the earth for our time - that is nothing less than what the writer Händl Klaus and the composer Hèctor Parra have in mind. Olivia and Bruno trudge through a glowing, dead landscape. Sung and spoken words result in an impossible dialogue between two lonely figures. A great work about farewell and loss, love and life. The clarinet concerto by the important composer Kaija Saariaho is inspired by medieval carpets with images of a woman and a unicorn. A work in which the soloist literally "wanders" through the landscape of the Philharmonie.

Music of Time – Man/Woman/Unicorn/Lakes

Sibelius' Violin Concerto is one of the most performed violin concertos of the 20th century. However, its tonal language belongs to the late 19th century, and the music is warm and lyrical, dramatic and melancholic. Sibelius, himself a violinist, possibly wrote the concerto he himself would have wanted to play – albeit on a technical level far beyond his own. It is among the more challenging in the genre, as many violinists have attested.

Sibelius and Schumann

Stockholm City Hall

Full of inspiration, Robert Schumann began work on his second symphony in early December 1845. However, his depressions, poor health, and constant tinnitus meant that it wasn't until the following autumn that the symphony was completed. Yet, his severe personal condition has not left its mark on the music at all; instead, the symphony is bright and forward-looking, a resounding triumph over the darker aspects of life.

Schumann's second symphony

An Ensembles concert at Merkin Hall provides an intimate connection between musician and audience. Experience the individual talents that make up the Orchestra, and see how a small setting can make for a huge musical event.

NY Phil Ensembles at Merkin

Kaufman Music Center

Join Musicians of the Philharmonic for personal and intimate performances, and experience the personality of the performers. See how a small setting can amplify a huge musical event!

NY Phil Ensembles at Merkin Hall

Conductor Giancarlo Guerrero brings out all the Technicolor glory of Ottorino Respighi's Roman postcards, Fountains of Rome and Pines of Rome—two vivid tone poems that sound like the best movie you've never seen. Stravinsky’s ballet Petrushka is equally dramatic, placing us amid the hurly-burly of a Russian carnival where a trio of magical puppets comes to life.

Guerrero Conducts Pines of Rome

Davies Symphony Hall

Conductor Giancarlo Guerrero brings out all the Technicolor glory of Ottorino Respighi’s Roman postcards, Fountains of Rome and Pines of Rome—two vivid tone poems that sound like the best movie you’ve never seen. Nestled among these pictorial wonders is a new work: Gabriel Kahane’s Talent & Phoenix, which sifts through the rubble of recent, catastrophic wildfires in an effort to better understand how we can come together to meet the challenges of a rapidly shifting planet.

Gabriel Kahane’s Talent & Phoenix

Karina Canellakis & Alice Sara Ott

Munich Residence

The programme of the fifth 2024/2025 Academy Concert combines two composers from the German-Austrian late Romantic period, both known for their lavishly lush and at the same time contrapuntally
tight orchestral language, with two from the far north in Finland. In his second symphonic poem,
Richard Strauss expresses the life principle of a man constantly seeking new excitement, who is
driven solely by constant change, until in the end the “fuel is all gone”, and he no longer even resists his departure.

Academy Concert: Tarmo Peltokoski

Max-Joseph-Platz

Founded in 2001, Meta4 is one of Finland’s most celebrated string quartets. Their Polarkr(e)is Drifting North program explores works from the sound worlds of the Arctic Circle, from the Inuit themes of American composer Amy Beach’s String Quartet, to works of their fellow Finns Kaija Saarhiaho and Jean Sibelius, paired with Italo-Indian composer Krishna Nagaraja’s Stringar, a piece that combines old and new through Nordic folk dance tunes.

Meta4 | Polarkr(e)is Drifting North

University of California San Diego

Faculty Recital: Angela Park

Carnegie Mellon University

Daniel Melendez performs a recital of works by Saariaho, Haubenstock-Ramati and more.

Student Degree Recital: Daniel Melendez D.M.A. percussion recital

The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center

Depicting the wide web of trauma left in the wake of a school shooting, the late, great Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho’s final opera is a raw and unflinching cri de coeur in response to the senseless violence of our modern age. Captivating with its eerie, darkly beautiful sound-world and diverse vocal styles, ranging from traditional opera to expressionistic speak-singing to Scandinavian folk music, Innocence, with libretto by prominent Finnish author Sofi Oksanen, was greeted upon its 2021 premiere by awestruck reviews and hailed as “completely exhilarating” (The New York Times), “a modern masterpiece” (The Telegraph). For its Met premiere—in Simon Stone’s powerfully direct original production—the cast is anchored by mezzo- soprano Joyce DiDonato and Finnish ethno-pop singer Vilma Jää as a grieving mother and the daughter she lost in the shooting, as well as soprano Jacquelyn Stucker and tenor Miles Mykkanen as a young couple whose wedding, a decade after the tragedy, uncovers buried secrets and reopens old wounds. Maestro Susanna Mälkki, a close friend and collaborator of Saariaho’s, conducts what she calls “one of the most important works of our time.”

Innocence

Lincoln Center

TŌN’s tenth season at the Fisher Center concludes with a program of dazzling and colorful music by three European composers. The concert begins with Kaija Saariaho’s Laterna Magica, inspired by the autobiography of filmmaker Ingmar Bergman. Then the orchestra is joined by clarinetist Miles Wazni, a winner of the 2023 Bard Conservatory Concerto Competition, for Carl Maria von Weber’s virtuosic Clarinet Concerto No. 2. We close with the luminous and beautifully crafted final symphony of French composer Albéric Magnard.

Weber & “Laterna Magica”

Fisher Center at Bard

Two pieces this evening were commissioned at the turn of the millennium. The first is Adès ’America: A Prophecy – an apocalyptic piece incorporating Mayan verse and Spanish flamboyance. Tonight we hear the UK premiere of the expansion of this powerful work which features celebrated American mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor and the Hallé Choir. The second is the late Saariaho’s Oltra Mar – a work in seven movements, exploring themes of love, death and time.

The Hallé - The Rite Of Spring

Two pieces this evening were commissioned at the turn of the millennium. The first is Adès’ America: A Prophecy – an apocalyptic piece incorporating Mayan verse and Spanish flamboyance. Tonight we hear the UK premiere of the expansion of this powerful work which features celebrated American mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor and the Hallé Choir. The second is the late Saariaho’s Oltra Mar – a work in seven movements, exploring themes of love, death and time.

The Rite of Spring

### Event Description: Alina Ibragimova Plays Prokofiev with the London Philharmonic Orchestra

#### Date and Time:
- **Wednesday, 26 March 2025**
- **6:30 PM**

#### Venue:
- **Royal Festival Hall, London**

#### Event Overview:
Join us for an enchanting evening as the London Philharmonic Orchestra, under the dynamic baton of Finnish conductor Hannu Lintu, presents a captivating program featuring the phenomenal violinist Alina Ibragimova. This concert promises to be a magical journey through some of the most evocative and powerful works in the classical repertoire.

#### Program:
1. **Kaija Saariaho** - *Orion* (22 minutes)
   - A vision of cosmic beauty from the late, great composer.
   
2. **Sergei Prokofiev** - *Violin Concerto No. 1* (20 minutes)
   - In a time of revolution, Prokofiev’s First Violin Concerto wove fairytale magic, and no one makes it dance like Alina Ibragimova.
   
3. **Carl Nielsen** - *Symphony No. 5* (35 minutes)
   - Nielsen’s Fifth Symphony is a shattering struggle for the future of existence itself, a piece that simply has to be experienced live.

#### Performers:
- **Hannu Lintu**, Conductor
- **Alina Ibragimova**, Violin

#### Ticket Information:
- **Price Range:** £7 - £70
- **Booking:** [Book Now](#)

#### Special Offers:
- **Multi-Buy Series Discounts:** Save up to 30% on full-price tickets at the Southbank Centre, London.
- **Group Discounts:** Book 10 or more seats to access discounted tickets for our Southbank Centre concerts.

#### Reviews:
- "The phenomenal Alina Ibragimova was the night's brilliant star." - *The Guardian*

#### Additional Information:
- **Recording Available:** Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 1 & Symphony No. 3 on the LPO Label.
- **Mailing List:** [Sign up](#) to stay updated with the latest news and events from the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Experience the wonder of live music with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Alina Ibragimova. This is an evening not to be missed!

Alina Ibragimova plays Prokofiev

Royal Festival Hall

A cold night passes into a radiant morning. In a performance honoring the pathbreaking composer Kaija Saariaho, who died last year, Ciel d’hiver (Winter Sky) begins in the orchestra’s heights, haunted piccolo shimmering like the northern lights. Magnus Lindberg’s new Viola Concerto pushes the fearless violist Lawrence Power to epic limits. And Schumann, struggling with illness, finds the warm light of dawn in the murmured fanfares of the Second Symphony. 

Lintu Conducts Schumann

University of Missouri-St. Louis

Sky, sea and light permeate this concert, in which Finnish conductor Dalia Stasevska makes her debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker. Jean Sibelius transports us to the historical Finland of legend with his dramatic tone poem Pohjola’s Daughter, while Kaija Saariaho’s Orion describes the astrological constellation in numinous music. The concert will also include Edvard Grieg’s piano concerto, which its echoes of Norwegian folk music, and Claude Debussy’s shimmering tone poem La Mer. The soloist is pianist Jean-Fréderic Neuburger.

Biennale »Paradise lost?« Debussy’s “La Mer” and Grieg’s Piano Concerto

Berliner Philharmonie

Join us for an extraordinary musical experience as The Cleveland Orchestra presents "Adès Conducts Adès" at the Severance Music Center's Mandel Concert Hall. This special event, taking place on February 20 and 22, 2025, features the world-renowned conductor Thomas Adès leading the orchestra in a captivating program.

Event Dates:
- Thursday, February 20, 2025, at 7:30 PM
- Saturday, February 22, 2025, at 8:00 PM

The program includes a rich selection of works:
- SIBELIUS: The Oceanides
- SAARIAHO: Oltra Mar
- THOMAS ADÈS: America: A Prophecy (US Premiere TCO co-commission)
- IVES: Orchestral Set No. 2

Performing alongside The Cleveland Orchestra will be the talented mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor and The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, promising an evening of unforgettable musical artistry.

Venue:
Mandel Concert Hall, Severance Music Center, is Cleveland’s premier destination for symphonic music. The center is dedicated to making everyone feel welcome, with doors opening three hours prior to most performances. For those attending, the most convenient parking option is Case Western Reserve University's CWRU Lot 29 Campus Center Garage, located directly adjacent to Severance Music Center.

Accessibility:
Severance Music Center is committed to accessibility for all guests. Features include wheelchair access & seating, companion wheelchair seating, assistance for the deaf or hard of hearing (including Infrared Assistive Listening Devices), assistance for the blind or persons with low vision (including large print programs and Braille texts upon request), and service animal accommodation. Fully accessible restrooms are available in the Smith Lobby.

Don't miss this unique opportunity to witness Thomas Adès conduct a program of both classic and contemporary works, including the US premiere of his own composition. Subscribe now for "Adès Conducts Adès" and be part of a memorable musical journey with The Cleveland Orchestra.

Adès Conducts Adès

Severance Music Center

Karina Canellakis conducts Debussy’s La Mer, which shimmers with a multitude of orchestral textures in its portrayal of the sea. Messiaen’s Les Offrandes oubilées is a profound expression of his devout faith, and Berg’s Violin Concerto — here performed by Veronika Eberle — blends modern compositional techniques with deep emotions. This concert begins with a musical meditation by Saariaho.

Canellakis Conducts Messiaen and La Mer

Klaus Mäkelä conducts the Oslo Philharmonic with Oslo Philharmonic Choir and soloists in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s immortal farewell work Requiem. Kaija Saariaho brings Greek mythology to life in the orchestral work Orion.

Klaus Mäkelä Oslo Philharmonic 

Oslo Concert Hall

Critically acclaimed Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson gives a visionary and innovative performance alongside Royal Northern Sinfonia and Principal Conductor Dinis Sousa.

Víkingur Ólafsson plays Brahms

The Glasshouse International Centre for Music

Join us for a program of stunning chamber music that celebrates the musical coexistence of dark and light.

CNMAT PRESENTS : Ninth Planet

University of California, Berkeley

This cutting-edge concert is a vital part of Carnegie Hall’s Pierre Boulez centennial celebration, combining the creative forces of the International Contemporary Ensemble with the latest breakthroughs in responsive music-performance technology. It features a world premiere that incorporates the machine-learning advancements of SOMAX 2, developed with researchers at IRCAM (Boulez’s world-renowned institute for computer and electro-acoustic music and innovation). The program also includes works by Boulez and leading composers inspired by his legacy, including longtime IRCAM researcher and visionary composer Philippe Manoury; genre-defying American multi-instrumentalist Tyshawn Sorey; and the late Kaija Saariaho.

International Contemporary Ensemble

Hush…when the great Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho died in 2023, she left behind her a trumpet concerto unlike any other, crafted to showcase the remarkable, genre-crossing artistry of trumpeter Verneri Pohjola. He gives its UK premiere tonight. a final, profoundly moving testament from one of our century’s greatest creative spirits, as she took her own 'journey to silence'.

A Meditation on Life

Barbican Centre

Hush…when the great Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho died in 2023, she left behind her a trumpet concerto unlike any other, crafted to showcase the remarkable, genre-crossing artistry of trumpeter Verneri Pohjola. He gives its UK premiere tonight. a final, profoundly moving testament from one of our century’s greatest creative spirits, as she took her own “journey to silence”.

Experience the profound emotional depth of Tchaikovsky's final symphony, the Pathétique, performed by The Philadelphia Orchestra under the electrifying baton of conductor Rafael Payare. This masterpiece, which Tchaikovsky himself said contained his whole soul, will be presented alongside Ravel's enchanting Suite No. 2 from Daphnis and Chloe and Kaija Saariaho's dramatic violin concerto, Graal théâtre, featuring the fabulously assured and poetic violinist Carolin Widmann. These performances promise an unforgettable journey through the passionate, the magical, and the legendary, inspired by the tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

Join us at Verizon Hall, now rededicated as Marian Anderson Hall, for this monumental event on the following dates:
- Thursday, January 23, 2025, at 7:30 PM
- Saturday, January 25, 2025, at 8:00 PM
- Sunday, January 26, 2025, at 2:00 PM

This performance is part of the 2024-25 Subscription Package, offering magnificent programming and exclusive subscriber benefits. Don't miss this opportunity to witness a work that has inspired generations of composers and artists, marking a new age of the symphonic form.

For tickets and more information, visit EnsembleArtsPhilly.org or contact us at 215-893-1999. Experience the passion, the innovation, and the legacy of Tchaikovsky's Pathétique with The Philadelphia Orchestra.

Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique Symphony

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Melody, rhythm, sound – these are the three cornerstones of music. There are other parts of music, but just like with the three basic colours, these three building blocks are absolutely central. Some composers emphasize one over the others, but it is difficult to find a piece of music where they are not present (an example where only one part is completely dominant we play at the end of the year, namely Ligeti's Atmosphères)

BLEUSE & RAKHMANINOVS 2. Symphonies

26 years old, and just married to a woman who is an avowed Fennoman (a Finland enthusiast), young Jean Sibelius starts composing his first tone poem. Rather than following a specific musical road map, his En saga is more of a fairy tale of mystic landscapes. It shows vast surfaces of sound, subdued melancholy, and here and there, cheerful trolls pop up for a perky little dance. Incidentally, the first sketches to this piece were made in Austria, where Sibelius, the composer with the Swedish accent, spent his time in Viennese coffee houses, reading the Finnish national epic, the Kalewala. »I never felt more Finnish than in Vienna, Italy and Paris.«

Into the Distance

Ins Weite – Special Concert

PROGRAM UPDATE (November 14, 2024): British Columbia-born pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko, the 2024 winner of the Leeds International Piano Competition and the Concours musical international de Montréal, will make his debut with the NAC Orchestra, performing Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 2.

Jaeden Izik-Dzurko's Debut

National Arts Centre

Program #1: Electronics & New Music

First Church of Christ Scientist

Noe Valley Ministry

St Paul's Episcopal Church

Passion is the key tonight – the London Philharmonic Orchestra sweeps us away with Beethoven’s darkest concerto and Tchaikovsky’s tragic final symphony.

Tchaikovsky’s Sixth

Venture among century-old forests in Ottorino Respighi’s Pines of Rome, a tone poem that sonically captures visions of the trees which dominate the Roman landscape. Featuring four distinct scenes that flow uninterrupted, Pines of Rome takes listeners on a journey through the splendor of Rome. From the spirited melodies of children at play in the Villa Borghese pine groves to the triumphant march of the Roman legions as they advance along the Appian Way, each movement paints a rich, auditory tapestry.

The Pines of Rome: UMD Symphony Orchestra

University of Maryland

Waves crash, tempests rise, and emotions surge and roar so fiercely that the words to express them simply don’t exist. That’s where music comes in, and when LPO Principal Guest Conductor Karina Canellakis is holding the baton, there’ll be no holding back. Passion is the key tonight, whether Kaija Saariaho’s opening Lumière et Pesanteur, Beethoven’s darkest concerto (with the charismatic Ukrainian pianist Vadym Kholodenko at the keyboard) or Tchaikovsky’s tragic, autobiographical final symphony. ‘Pathétique’ means ‘full of emotion’ and if you’ve already experienced Canellakis’s special chemistry with the players of the LPO, you’ll know to bring the tissues.

Conductor and composer Esa-Pekka Salonen returns to Walt Disney Concert Hall for an all-Finnish program featuring some of Sibelius’s greatest hits. After an ethereal piece by Kaija Saariaho – a work dedicated to Salonen himself – the violin shines in Sibelius’s brooding Violin Concerto, an expressive and technically-challenging showcase of the instrument. The concert concludes with the soaring melodies and triumphant timbre of Sibelius’s Second Symphony. 

Colburn Orchestra: Sibelius Violin Concerto

Walt Disney Concert Hall

Two works with unrequited or impossible love as motifs open this concert; Jean Sibelius' music for Maurice Maeterlinck's play Pelléas et Mélisande and Kaija Saariaho's Cinq reflets de l'amour de loin with soloists Johanna Wallroth and Karl-Magnus Fredriksson. Finally, conductor Dalia Stasevska leads the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Sibelius's dramatically introspective second symphony.

Sibelius & Saariaho

SR Berwaldhallen

A deep dive into the potential of the violin, expanding and enhancing the instrument through microtonality, electronics, and the sound of multiple violins

The Expanded Violin/Anselm McDonnell

LSO St Luke's

The Philharmonia Orchestra spotlights the compelling music of two of the leading Nordic composers of recent decades, in this free early evening concert.

Music of Today: Kaija Saariaho & Hans Abrahamsen

Join us for an enchanting evening of contemporary music at the Royal Festival Hall on Sunday, 6th October 2024, at 6pm, featuring the captivating works of Kaija Saariaho and Hans Abrahamsen. This special "Music of Today" concert, part of the Nordic Soundscapes series, is a celebration of the leading Nordic composers of recent decades, offering a unique opportunity to experience the compelling compositions of Saariaho and Abrahamsen, free of charge, though a ticket is required.

Under the baton of Chloe Rooke, making her Philharmonia debut, and featuring the exquisite soprano Ella Taylor, acclaimed for their "gorgeous voice" by BBC Music Magazine, the evening promises to be a memorable one. The programme includes Saariaho's "Semafor," one of her last pieces, inspired by the playful sculptures of Finnish artist Ernst Mether-Borgström, and Abrahamsen's "Two Inger Christensen Songs," crystalline settings of poems by the renowned Danish poet, capturing a timeless connection with the natural world.

This concert not only showcases the talents of emerging artists alongside established musicians but also marks a welcome return for Ella Taylor, who first performed with us in an unconventional venue, a multi-storey car park in Peckham. Now, they grace the stage with a small ensemble of Philharmonia players for an evening that promises to be as innovative as it is inspiring.

Priority booking is available for Friends of the Philharmonia, with general booking opening at 10am on Tuesday, 23rd April. Secure your seat for this free event and immerse yourself in the modern sounds of the Nordic landscape. For more information and to book your tickets, contact the Philharmonia Box Office at 0800 652 6717, Monday to Friday, 10am – 5pm. Don't miss this early evening concert, a perfect prelude to the broader explorations of Nordic Soundscapes.

Music of Today: Kaija Saariaho and Hans Abrahamsen

Be moved by Tchaikovsky’s poignant journey from high drama to triumph. The composer brought new emotional intensity to his Fourth Symphony and created a masterpiece for the ages. Then, Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G sparkles in the hands of scintillating pianist Alexandra Dariescu — its whip-cracking wit, sad waltz and jazz-infused charms combining to make one of the best-loved concertos. New Zealand conductor Tianyi Lu returns to our podium for this program that also features Kaija Saariaho’s depiction of the music of the spheres as they wheel through the night skies — imagery that has entranced composers through the ages and a recurring theme of this season.

Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4

Benaroya Hall

Esbjerg Ensemble opens the season with some of the best chamber music - from the most classical to the most contemporary.

Opening Concert

Southern Danish Conservatory of Music

Before Beethoven began writing his lifelong series of string quartets (in 1801), he composed four string trios. In this dramatic and voluminous trio, it almost seems as if he is preparing for the string quartets that were to set new standards for how expressive and profound chamber music can be.

Esbjerg Ensemble: Opening concert

Esbjerg Performing Arts Centre

Come and experience tomorrow's stars from the Jutland Music Conservatory. Here, the students will play a varied program in different constellations with music by e.g. Brahms, Haydn and Saariaho. The audience will experience a flute/singing duo, a clarinet trio and a string quartet.

Composer

Kaija Saariaho

Events

Upcoming events

May 10, 2026

Exhilarating Finnish and French Chamber Works · Royal Danish Orchestra

14 - 17 May, 2026

Lintu Conducts Sibelius · Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

2 - 5 Jun, 2026

Bruckner's legacy · Bühnen Bern

Jun 21, 2026

Works by Wagner / Widmann / Xenakis / Saariaho / Pelzel · Ensemble Modern

19 - 20 Nov, 2026

Elgar and Dvořák · Minnesota Orchestra

Past events

1 - 2 May, 2026

Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet · Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

Apr 20, 2026

The Met Orchestra Chamber Ensemble 2026 Concert 5 · Carnegie Hall

About

Kaija Saariaho hasn't added a bio