Composer

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.

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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

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.

Tchaikovsky’s Sixth

Royal Festival Hall

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

Southbank Centre

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

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.

Aarhus Chamber Music Festival: RISING STARS

Musikhuset Aarhus

We are sorry to announce that due to illness Jonny Greenwood (ondes martenot, tanpura, electric guitar) is no longer able to take part in the above concert. The programme and line-up of artists for this concert have therefore changed. Daniel Pioro (violin) will now be joined by Liam Byrne (viol) and Jonas Nordberg (lute), and the programme will be as below.

Daniel Pioro violin; Liam Byrne viol; Jonas Nordberg lute

Wigmore Hall

Explosive energy and charm – some of the key words when super pianist Yuja Wang and Esa-Pekka Salonen shine together at the Baltic Sea Festival. Stravinsky's Capriccio for piano and orchestra , with its modernism that teases the ear just enough to get everyone in a good mood. Prokofiev's first piano concerto, which from start to finish is youthful, virtuosic, pure joy. Sibelius's orchestral tale of Lemminkäinen – the reckless womanizer in Finnish mythology – reflects the protagonist's character: playful, lovesick and with irresistible energy, although a typical Sibelius darkness can be found in the beautiful dull third movement, Tuonela's Swan .

Wang & Salonen

Our fan-favorite evening of music and wine pairings returns! This year features the return of Soprano, Melissa Wimbish, and the introduction of acclaimed percussionist and faculty at the Peabody Conservatory, Jeff Stern. Exciting works by composers from around the world are paired with incredible wines from our friends at Annapolis’ own Bin 201. Must be 21 or older to partake in wine tastings.

Fine Wine and Finer Music

Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis

When the 14-year-old Richard Strauss got caught in a storm, lost in the mist, soaked by the rain or blistered by the sun while out mountaineering, his response was to sit at the piano and improvise a musical description of the experience. That sowed the seeds for a work born 35 years later: An Alpine Symphony. This spectacular symphony, which calls for an orchestra of 130 musicians – including wind machine, thunder machine, cowbells, organ and offstage brass – will surely raise the roof of the Royal Albert Hall. But only after Mozart – at his most charming in the Piano Concerto No. 9 – and the late Kaija Saariaho’s Mirage, a hypnotic snapshot of womanhood for soprano, cello and orchestra.

Prom 27: Strauss’s An Alpine Symphony

Royal Albert Hall

Featuring programs curated and performed by the renowned LMC faculty. Each concert incorporates music from all periods, including LMC’s composers-in-residence James Chu and Connor Elias Way!

Faculty Artist Concert No. 6

Luzerne Music Center

Season tickets and Weekend Pass 4 holders can redeem their tickets (by clicking on 'Promming tickets' above) from Midday the day before the Prom. Day Promming tickets will be available from 10.30am on the day of the Prom via the same button (2 tickets per booker).

In collaboration with the SF Public Library, Left Coast Chamber Ensemble explores the music of primarily Californian composers whose music is connected to the earth and to the climate, music which asks us to listen deeply to the natural world.

Deep Ecology and Deep Listening

San Francisco Public Library

No festival is complete without the iconic duo of Jonathan Crow and Philip Chiu! Join them on a journey of discovery through the works of their dreams and shadows.  

TSM presents Dreams and Shadows

The Royal Conservatory of Music

As is our custom, the season ends in Det Gule Palæ with beautiful tones.

Summer in the Yellow Palace

The Yellow Mansion

Morning Concert

Libbey Park

Join us for an unforgettable evening at the Ojai Festival on June 8th, 2024, featuring the Mahler Chamber Orchestra (MCO) & Mitsuko Uchida. This concert, set against the picturesque backdrop of Libbey Bowl in Ojai, promises an enchanting blend of music that bridges the old with the new, the familiar with the unfamiliar.

Curated by the festival's music director, Mitsuko Uchida, the evening's program is a carefully crafted journey through musical landscapes. The concert opens with Claude Debussy's "Prélude à l’après-midi d’une faune," a symphonic poem that vividly captures the dreamy reverie of a faun. Following this, Kaija Saariaho's "Lichtbogen," a piece that transcends traditional orchestral boundaries by incorporating computer technology, offers a modern twist on instrumental music.

Esa-Pekka Salonen's "Elegy" from "Kínēma" adds a cinematic dimension to the program, with its emotional depth and sincerity. The night concludes with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 27, K. 595, featuring Mitsuko Uchida as both the piano soloist and director. This piece masterfully blends the soloist and orchestra, providing a fitting end to the evening.

The concert will also showcase the talents of Vicente Alberola on clarinet, José Maria Blumenschein as concertmaster & leader, Johannes Lörstad leading for Debussy, and Aliisa Neige-Barrière conducting Saariaho, all under the banner of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra.

Presented by the Ojai Festival, this concert is a celebration of musical innovation and tradition. Don't miss the opportunity to experience the MCO and Mitsuko Uchida in a performance that promises to be a highlight of the 2024 Ojai Festival.

08 June 2024  Ojai

Evening Concert

Finnish conductor Dalia Stasevska conducts this program of works by her homeland’s greatest composers – Sibelius’ extraordinary Fifth Symphony, Einojuhani Rautavaara’s Cantus Arcticus and Kaija Saariaho’s Harp Concerto featuring soloist Xavier de Maistre.

Dalia Stasevska Conducts Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony

Sydney Opera House

Gabriella Smith’s music has been performed by many leading orchestras around the world. She’s also a committed environmentalist. During this evening of music and conversation, Gabriella and host Gabriel Kahane will explore the concept of nature music, the relationship between art and political practice, and the importance of climate activism and ecosystem restoration.

Open Music with Gabriella Smith

Alberta Rose Theatre of Portland

"Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord." (Psalm 130:1) Downtown Voices; The Choir of Trinity Wall Street; and NOVUS NY bring the 2023-2024 season to a close on June 2, at 3pm, in Trinity Church, with Lili Boulanger's Psalm 130, Kaija Saariaho's Oltra Mar, and Eriks Ešenvald's Psalm 130. Free.

Season Finale: Out of the Depths

Trinity Church

A joyous wedding celebration takes a shocking turn when the darkest of family secrets is revealed and a young bride has an impossible decision to make.
Acclaimed by the The New York Times as a “masterpiece,” Innocence takes us to the limits of a family’s ability to deal with tragedy. In a gripping one-act drama, Kaija Saariaho and Sofi Oksanen unfold a harrowing story of emotional shock and surprise in which our understanding of innocence and guilt is continually upended.
Premiered in Aix-en-Provence in 2021 and making its American premiere in San Francisco, Innocence makes clear the power of the opera stage to tell emotive stories impossible in any other art form. Saariaho specialist Clément Mao-Takacs leads an international cast of singers and actors in this towering work performed in multiple languages.

Innocence

War Memorial Opera House

Be moved by the power of our Symphony Orchestra performances! Adventure Awaits! Order tickets today.

Opposites Attract

ISU Center for the Performing Arts

UIS Performing Arts Center

Flutist Elizabeth Salerno debuts from the Royal Danish Academy of Music with a program inspired by the adventures and writings of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. In 1935 he had a near-death experience that would feature prominently in his memoir ‘Wind, Sand, and Stars’ and would go on to inspire him to write the timeless story of ‘The Little Prince’.

Debut Concert Elizabeth Salerno

Konservatoriets Koncertsal

The recent passing of Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho ended a brilliant career in the highest echelons of the music world. Aure, a work for violin and viola, demonstrates her mastery and originality. Danny Elfman, prolific film composer (Spider-Man, Good Will Hunting), singer, and percussionist, turns his protean talents to the Piano Quartet, with amazing results. The ravishing renegade Rebecca Clarke explores both modern concepts and ancient styles with her duo-concertante Dumka. Lastly, the autobiographical String Quartet No. 1 (“From My Life”) of Bedřich Smetana, father of Czech nationalist music, closes our season with one of the most beloved works in the chamber repertoire. 

Banquet

St Peter's Episcopal Church

St Gabriel's Church

Experience the grandeur of Beethoven's Eighth Symphony with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of the esteemed conductor Dinis Sousa. This remarkable performance is set to take place on April 24th and 25th, 2023, at the prestigious Berwaldhallen, promising an evening of exquisite music that spans the emotional spectrum.

Ludwig van Beethoven himself described his Eighth Symphony as his "little symphony in F," a light-hearted composition that contrasts with his more substantial Sixth Symphony. Despite its cheerful demeanor, the Eighth Symphony is anything but lightweight, offering a rich, intricate listening experience that showcases Beethoven's mastery of symphonic form.

The concert also features Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 49 in F minor, known as "La passione," a work that delves into darker, more dramatic territories. Complementing these classical masterpieces, the contemporary piece "Vers toi qui es si loin" by Kaija Saariaho, for violin and orchestra, will be performed by the talented Julia Kretz-Larsson, assistant first concertmaster of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. This piece acts as a beacon of light amidst the contrasting moods of the Haydn and Beethoven symphonies.

The entire concert, with an approximate duration of 1 hour and 10 minutes, promises to be a memorable journey through the realms of classical music, from the passionate depths of Haydn's work to the innovative brilliance of Beethoven, and the contemporary resonance of Saariaho.

For those unable to attend in person, the concert will be broadcasted on Swedish Radio P2 on Friday, May 3rd, at 7:03 pm, allowing music lovers everywhere to partake in this extraordinary musical event.

Tickets for the performances on April 24th and 25th are in high demand, with availability varying. Attendees are encouraged to secure their seats promptly to experience the magic of Beethoven's Eighth Symphony, performed by one of the world's leading orchestras, in the heart of Sweden's cultural scene.

Beethoven’s Eighth Symphony

The USC Thornton Opera and the USC Thornton Symphony presents a double bill of two one-act operas.

Saariaho’s La Passion de Simone is a meditative journey in 15 stations exploring the life-work of French philosopher Simone Weil. The Juniper Tree is based on the Grimm Brothers’ tale of the same name with composers Glass and Moran setting alternating scenes.

USC Thornton Opera presents "La Passion de Simone" and "The Juniper Tree"

University of Southern California

As heard in 2001: A Space Odyssey, the famous ascending brass passage that opens Also sprach Zarathustra is just the tip of this orchestral iceberg. Prepare yourself for a wild ride of cosmic drama led by one of today’s leading conductors, Simone Young. Lise de la Salle—“a musical thinker with charm, imagination and a dazzling technique” (The Washington Post)—performs Mozart’s elegant Piano Concerto No. 9.

Simone Young conducts Also sprach Zarathustra Lise de la Salle plays Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 9

California Center for the Arts

Musica Nova

University of Rochester

Oberlin Sinfonietta focuses on a wide range of compositions by composers from the last 100 years. This concert is conducted by Timothy Weiss and features violinist Hannah Hurwitz and Professor of Voice Timothy LeFebvre.

OCLIPSE Concert Series: Oberlin Sinfonietta

Oberlin College

Pianist Yuja Wang has graced stages all over the world, earning rave reviews that describe her performances as daredevil, dazzling and captivating. Now, she makes her Minnesota Orchestra debut in an exhilarating piano concerto by Bela Bartók alongside returning guest conductor Hannu Lintu. The Orchestra also performs Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony in this concert that travels through starry nights, showcases extreme technical prowess, and fills the soul with feelings of deep romance and passion.

Yuja Wang Plays Bartók

Minnesota Orchestra

Part of Carnegie Hall’s Fall of the Weimar Republic: Dancing on the Precipice festival

The New Series: The Mad King

The Juilliard School

Want to bring a moment of calm to your Sunday lunchtime? This will be an hour-long, free event for all ages, inspired by nature. Grab a drink from one of Brindleyplace's local cafes, and feel free to drop in and out as you please!

Cherry Blossom Concert 2024

Oozells Square

The concert starts off with a bang as Don Juan bursts onto the stage and dives head first into his romantic—and musical—adventures! From one symphonic poem to the next, Strauss takes us through Italy with Aus Italien, visiting four sunny destinations: the Roman countryside, the nostalgic Roman ruins, the beach at Sorrento and a Neapolitan celebration.

Italian Dream

Centre Leonardo Da Vinci

Place des Arts

Église Sainte-Claire

St. Sixtus Catholic Church

BCMG's wind trio perform a select programme of music fitting for such a venue, from Coventry's own Brian Ferneyhough, alongside pieces from Hans Abrahamsen, Sir Harrison Birtwistle and BCMG oboist Melinda Maxwell.

Light, Air, Space

Castle Bromwich Historic Gardens

Coventry Cathedral

Notable for its multilayered complexity and for its large and varied orchestration, this symphony combines elements and techniques of Ives’s previous compositional work.It  has been called “one of his most definitive works” and  Ives’ biographer, Jan Swafford, has called it “Ives’s climactic masterpiece”

Charles Ives Symphony #4 with the Mannes Orchestra

Lincoln Center

Refrain from using electronic devices during the
performance. Feel free to view this program on your
device at any time prior to the performance, during
intermission or after the performance ends

Doctoral Recital: Alice Del Simone, voice

University of Colorado Boulder

Saariaho’s rapt attention to every sound is remembered and explored in this concert for flute, cello and piano. Her music invites the listener to hear the pieces that surround it — Prokofiev’s Flute Sonata and miniatures by two California composers — from various different angles. Tomàs Piere Serrate’s evocative Five Haiku completes the program.

Butterflies, Moons, and Mirrors: A Saariaho Celebration

Berkeley Piano Club

With his Ninth Symphony, Shostakovich delivered a tragicomic work with nods to Haydn and circus tunes. Uzbek pianist Behzod Abduraimov makes his debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Tchaikovsky’s thrilling First Piano Concerto. Mussorgsky’s radiant Khovanshchina prelude and Saariaho’s ethereal Winter Sky round out the program.

Tchaikovsky & Shostakovich

Symphony Center

With his Ninth Symphony, Shostakovich delivered a tragicomic work with nods to Haydn and circus tunes. Uzbek pianist Behzod Abduraimov makes his debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Tchaikovsky’s thrilling First Piano Concerto. Mussorgsky’s radiant Khovanshchina prelude and Saariaho’s ethereal Winter Sky round out the program led by renowned Finnish conductor Hannu Lintu.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

Msm Symphony Orchestra and Msm Opera Theatre Opera in Concert

Manhattan School of Music

Subscription 14 - Royal Philharmonic of Galicia - Kari Kriikku - Baldur Brönnimann

Opera Palace of A Coruña

Audrey Puschinsky, Masters Piano (Classical) Recital

University of Miami

First, a call to arms. Composed during the Napoleonic Wars, revolution was spreading across Europe, and you can hear it in Beethoven’s Egmont overture with its growling basses, stormy strings, and heraldic brass. Injustice, heroism, and rebellion against oppression, are condensed into this minidrama of an overture. The might of Beethoven later inspired Bruckner, but his music takes us to a place of contemplation rather than controversy. His symphonies are written to the glory of God, with an architecture to match. John Storgårds has already taken his vision of Bruckner to Vienna and Berlin, and now Manchester, in the first of three instalments in this season. We also pay homage to the late Finnish composer Saariaho, widely regarded as one of the finest of recent years. In Leino Songs, filigree textures and bold colours are influenced by her birthplace Finland, and France, her adopted home. Her highly individual style is transcendental and lingers long in the memory.

Cathedral in Sound

The Bridgewater Hall

Taco Classical: Romeo & Juliet

Veterans Memorial Auditorium (The VETS)

What is the relationship between music and the theatre? From folk theatre to Shakespeare to the very conventions of the concert hall, come explore what exactly makes a piece of music theatrical. Featuring violinist Geneva Lewis performing Graal Théâtre, Kaija Saariaho’s enchanting violin concerto, the concert also includes Darius Milhaud’s Charlie Chaplain-esque Le Bœuf sur le toit, and Erich Korngold’s delightful Much Ado about Nothing Suite.

Parlando: Melodrama

Kaufman Music Center

Traversing rich and varied musical landscapes, this concert laments the dramatic ecological loss of bees and the associated acoustic loss (referencing its musical predecessor Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee) and presents a tapestry of a thousand flowers in the constantly shimmering gestures of Martinaityte’s sonic garden. Silvestrov’s Postludium, rippling with nostalgia and swirling memories, belies Vladimir Putin’s contention that Ukraine doesn’t exist as a country with its own cultural identity. In memoriam, we honour the late Kaija Saariaho performing her fabulous musical voyage through evocative sound worlds guided by texts of the great Persian poet Rumi.

Esprit Orchestra presents: Circle Maps

Connor Kim, Cello

On Friday 24 November, ATHELAS presents the second concert in the series European trendsetters, where Danish audiences are introduced to masterpieces from a number of the composers who have defined the European scenes for the last hundred years. This time it will be an intense meeting with Hungarian/Austrian György Ligeti and Finnish Kaija Saariaho at a sonorous concert in Musikhuset.

György Ligeti & Kaija Saariaho

Musikhuset Copenhagen

Juilliard Orchestra Conducted by Jeffrey Milarsky

Boston Conservatory at Berklee's contemporary music ensemble contraBAND presents the music of Kaija Saariaho.

contraBAND: Saariaho

Boston Conservatory at Berklee

Grace is our new series showcasing female composers and emerging Welsh talent, and in the inaugural concert of the series we’re delighted to welcome BBC NOW violinist, turned conductor, Emilie Godden to conduct the opening work.

'Grace' 2023

Wales Millennium Centre

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra flautist Helen Wilson shares music she loves: magical miniatures spanning three continents and four centuries, travelling from 18th century Italy to modern-day Japan.

Helen Wilson, flute and Benjamin Powell, piano

The Music Room

Choir pieces by Verdi, Pizzetti, and Vaughan Williams

RDAM's Chamber Choir

Director Nicole Paiement and the New Music Ensemble celebrate the works of composers at SFCM, while honoring two groundbreaking composers we lost in the last year. Luckadoo (‘23) wanted to perform a new clarinet concerto and decided to take matters into his own hands when he wrote Phenomenologies. Jay Cruz (‘23) represents composers from SFCM’s Technology and Applied Composition (TAC) program. SFCM composition faculty David Garner’s Cello Capriccio incorporates his compositional system of “Tonal Serialism.” Kaija Saariaho and Jocelyn Morlock were both deeply influential artists and NME’s performance of their works are in their honor.

SFCM New Music Ensemble with Nicole Paiement

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

Finnish guest conductor Hannu Lintucelebrates great composers from his homeland leading the Philharmonic in Sibelius’ Symphony No. 7 and Finlandia, as well as Kaija Saariaho’s Cield’hiver. Masterful violinist Stefan Jackiwalso joins the program in Bruch’s rousing Scottish Fantasy. 

The New York Philharmonic returns to Bravo! Vail for its annual summer residency, performing works both fresh and familiar with its signature brilliance and power.

New York Philharmonic performs Sibelius

Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater

See the conducting stars of tomorrow in these engaging concerts where student conductors rotate between conducting a movement of a work, or playing in the orchestra. Program Director and AMFS Music Director Robert Spano observes the work of his students at this weekly event.

Aspen Conducting Academy Orchestra

Aspen Meadows Resort

In this epic programme, the BBC Symphony Orchestra returns to Snape Maltings Concert Hall to perform Mahler’s Symphony No.1 and the UK premiere of Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s AIŌN, an electrifying exploration of time.

BBC SO at Aldeburgh Festival

Snape Maltings

Critically acclaimed Chickasaw composer and pianist Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate explores the intersection of classical and Indigenous musical cultures through his compositions, and the title of this astounding piece for solo timpani comes from the Chickasaw word for thunder and lighting. Throughout history, the Chickasaw people believed thunderstorms were the holy people at war above the clouds. Defying death and displaying courage, these warriors would shoot their guns into the sky during the storms. Talowa’ Hiloha (Thunder Song) is an homage to this tradition.

Summer Broadcast Series: Music of the Earth

Kaija Saariaho’s intensely moving opera Adriana Mater explores the relationship between a mother and her son as they navigate a world rumbling with the threat of violence. Esa-Pekka Salonen and director Peter Sellars helm this semi-staged production.

Kaija Saariaho's Adriana Mater

Davies Symphony Hall

Inspiration comes in many forms. After visiting the Palace of Holyrood in 1829, the young Felix Mendelssohn wrote, ‘I believe I found today in the old chapel the beginning of my Scottish Symphony’. The Third might allude to the life of Mary Queen of Scots but it also pays tribute to toe-tapping folk tunes along the way. Kaija Saariaho found her inspiration in the mechanics and wonder of moving images (specifically those of filmmaker Ingmar Bergman) and her Magic Lantern glows with its own inner light. Ravel, meanwhile, romps through the worlds of jazz, Basque folk-song and French impressionism, and somehow manages to be utterly serious, teasingly playful and elegantly cool all at the same time. The brilliant Denis Kozhukhin and Simone Menezes team up for this incredible concert.

Mendelssohn 'Scottish' Symphony in Edinburgh

The Usher Hall

Pianist Denis Kozhukhin and conductor Simone Menezes join the orchestra for an inspired evening at Glasgow City Halls.

Mendelssohn: 'Scottish' Symphony

City Halls

Experience the profound musical heritage of Finland with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall on Monday, May 8, 2023, at 8:00 PM. Under the esteemed direction of Susanna Mälkki, named Musical America’s Conductor of the Year for 2017, and featuring the exceptional Claire Chase on solo flute, this performance promises an unforgettable evening of Finnish compositions.

The orchestra, with a prestigious history dating back to 1882 and known for premiering most of Jean Sibelius’s symphonies, will celebrate the rich musical traditions of its homeland. The program includes Sibelius’s "Lemminkäinen’s Return" from the Lemminkäinen Suite Op. 22, inspired by Finnish mythic heroes, and his Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43, a piece often interpreted as a call for national independence. Additionally, the concert will showcase the contemporary sounds of Finland with Kaija Saariaho’s flute concerto "L’Aile du songe (Wing of the Dream)," featuring the acclaimed Claire Chase, a recipient of the MacArthur Genius Grant.

This performance is part of the Washington Performing Arts’s The World in Our City initiative, promoting cross-cultural understanding and cultural diplomacy. It is supported by generous contributions from Frank Islam and Debbie Driesman, and Betsy and Robert Feinberg, with His Excellency Mikko Hautala, Ambassador of the Republic of Finland, serving as the honorary patron.

Join us for an evening that not only highlights the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra’s vibrant legacy but also celebrates the enduring spirit and cultural richness of Finland through music.

Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Light becomes sound; poetry becomes music and words create worlds. Sakari Oramo crowns a day of total immersion in the music of Kaija Saariaho with a sumptuous orchestral celebration.

Total Immersion: Oramo conducts Kaija Saariaho

Barbican Centre

Kaiija Saariaho is one of the most original and influential figures in 21st century music, a composer who used Finland’s buoyant musical traditions as a launchpad for a journey that has transformed our very perception of musical space and time. Few living composers are more deserving of a day of total immersion; and none occupies such a striking position between intellectual enquiry and pure, wondrous beauty.

Kaija Saariaho

Composer

Events

Upcoming events

11 - 12 Jan, 2025

Ins Weite – Special Concert · Kölner Philharmonie

Jan 23, 2025

BLEUSE & RAKHMANINOVS 2. Symphonies · Odense Symphony Orchestra

23 - 26 Jan, 2025

Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique Symphony · Philadelphia Orchestra

Jan 24, 2025

A Meditation on Life · Barbican Centre

Jan 24, 2025

A Meditation on Life · BBC Symphony Orchestra

Past events

20 - 21 Nov, 2024

Jaeden Izik-Dzurko's Debut · National Arts Centre Orchestra

16 - 18 Nov, 2024

Program #1: Electronics & New Music · Volti

About

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