Composer Kaija Saariaho donated a million euros to the Musiikkitalo Foundation in 2017 towards the construction of an organ in the concert hall. Work on what is one of the world's largest concert hall organs was completed last autumn. In this evening’s concert, the organ will be heard together with the orchestra for the first time. “The instrument plays so that it fills the hall and comes close to the audience, even on the listener’s skin,” says the evening's soloist Jan Lehtola.
Jukka-Pekka Saraste
Jukka-Pekka Saraste, now beginning his term as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, has established himself as one of the outstanding conductors of his generation. Born in Heinola, Finland, in 1956, he began his career as a violinist. Today, he is renowned as an artist of exceptional versatility and breadth. He maintains a particularly strong connection to the works of Beethoven, Bruckner, Shostakovich, Stravinsky and Sibelius and is internationally celebrated for his interpretations of Mahler. During the 2023/2024 season, together with the HPO, Saraste will delve deeper into the symphonic heritage of Sibelius, Mahler and Bruckner over several extended concert periods, as well as highlight composers and music of our own time.
As head of the Artistic Leadership Team of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Saraste emphasises the importance of music for both society and individuals.
”Music is a particularly strong part of Finnish culture, and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra itself plays a significant role in building our identities. As I begin my term as Chief Conductor, I want to engage in the orchestra’s efforts to be the orchestra of all Helsinki residents. The brainstorming between the Artistic Leadership Team and members of the orchestra has been very close. Experiencing music as part of a community is one of the greatest things an orchestra can offer its listeners.”
Jukka-Pekka Saraste’s previous positions include the principal conductorships of the WDR Symphony Orchestra in Cologne, the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. He has also served as Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. As guest conductor he appears with the major orchestras worldwide and in recent years conducted the likes of the Orchestre de Paris, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and the NHK Symphony Orchestra.
Saraste considers it important to coach and mentor musicians at the beginning of their careers. He is a founding member of the LEAD! Foundation, a mentorship programme for young conductors and soloists that has run projects in Sweden, Switzerland, Germany and Bulgaria, amongst others. The LEAD! Masterclass in summer 2023 was held once again in conjunction with the annual Fiskars Summer Festival, where a multinational symphony orchestra of young musicians worked under the direction of Saraste and guest artists.
Jukka-Pekka Saraste has been awarded for his merits in the field of music with the Pro Finlandia Prize, the Finnish State Prize for Music and the Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland.
Gustav Mahler: Symphony no. 6 in A minor
At its premiere in Essen in 1906, the Symphony no. 6 in A minor (sometimes known as The Tragic) by Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) appealed to many above all because of its colour and the logicality of its musical narrative. There was certainly plenty of colour to be achieved with an orchestra that included quadruple winds, 8 French horns, 6 trumpets, 2 harps, a celesta and a variety of percussion instruments.
Though the symphony has no official programme, Mahler hinted that it tells of a hero who is finally mown down by fate. While the works of Mahler always reflect his personal experiences, thoughts and feelings, his music is not necessarily autobiographical or related to ongoing events in his personal life. On the contrary: when he composed the dramatic, tragic Symphony no. 6 in 1903-04, his life was far from gloomy. He was happily married, and well on his way to making his mark as a conductor at the Vienna Opera.
The romantic second theme of the first movement, which introduces the hero in all his glory, is said to be a musical portrait of his wife, Alma. The three hammer blows in the last movement were, according to Mahler, to be “brief and mighty, but dull in resonance and with a non-metallic character (like the fall of an axe)”. Thus fate fells the hero “like a tree”.
| Violin 1 Jan Söderblom Kreeta-Julia Heikkilä Eija Hartikainen Maiju Kauppinen Helmi Kuusi Elina Lehto Ilkka Lehtonen Jani Lehtonen Kari Olamaa Kalinka Pirinen Petri Päivärinne Satu Savioja Elina Viitasaari Totti Hakkarainen Angeles Salas Salas Johannes Põlda Violin 2 Anna-Leena Haikola Kamran Omarli Heini Eklund Maaria Leino Teppo Ali-Mattila Krista Rosenberg Terhi Ignatius Anna-Maria Huohvanainen Sanna Kokko Virpi Taskila Mathieu Garguillo Anne Paavilainen Pia Sundroos Hanna Teukku Viola Atte Kilpeläinen Torsten Tiebout Petteri Poijärvi Lotta Poijärvi Kaarina Ikonen Tiila Kangas Ulla Knuuttila Carmen Moggach Mariette Reefman Liisa Orava Aida Hadzajlic Ada Koivukangas Cello Lauri Kankkunen Tuomas Ylinen Basile Ausländer Mathias Hortling Veli-Matti Iljin Jaakko Rajamäki Ilmo Saaristo Aslihan Gencgonül Fransien Paananen Sami Mäkelä Bass Ville Väätäinen Pauli Pappinen Tuomo Matero Paul Aksman Eero Ignatius Venla Lahti Vilhelm Karlsson Yordano Nunez | Flute Elina Raijas Niamh Mc Kenna Päivi Korhonen Jenny Villanen Hanna-Kaarina Heikinheimo Oboe Hannu Perttilä Jussi Jaatinen Nils Rõõmussaar Paula Malmivaara Tõnis Traksman Clarinet Osmo Linkola Heikki Nikula Nora Niskanen Harri Mäki Laure Paris Bassoon Mikko-Pekka Svala Noora Van Dok Erkki Suomalainen Pekko Aakko Arvid Larsson Horn Mika Paajanen Ville Hiilivirta Miska Miettunen Jonathan Nikkinen Sam Parkkonen Joonas Seppelin Seppo Parkkinen Marian Strandenius Pasi Tiitinen Trumpet Thomas Bugnot Mika Tuomisalo Pasqual Llopis Diago Alessandro Chiavetta Tomas Gricius Touko Lundell Ilari Tuominen Trombone Valtteri Malmivirta Anu Fagerström Francisco Couto John Kotka Tuba Jesper Kramer-Johansen Timpani Tomi Wikström Mikael Sandström Percussion Xavi Castelló Aràndiga Pasi Suomalainen Sampo Kuusisto Alex Martin Agustin Elmeri Uusikorpi Harp Minnaleena Jankko Katilyne Roels Keyboard Mirka Viitala |
Yes, but only before or after the concert. During the concert we just want you to enjoy the music. This way you won’t disturb the musicians or other audience members.
Only the orchestra has a dress code. You can dress as you like.
You can give the ticket to a friend or donate it to a music student by calling 09-3102 2700 or sending an e-mail to helsinki.philharmonic@hel.fi by 3pm on the day of the concert.
