“The organ and the orchestra are both kings. Or rather: one is the emperor and the other the pope.” Composer Hector Berlioz strictly forbade combining organ and symphony orchestra. Tonight, however, we ignore the instructions of the father of the modern symphony orchestra twice! The Organ Symphony is one of Camille Saint-Saëns's most popular works, while Samy Moussa's A Globe Itself Infolding has garnered praise on the world's most prominent concert stages.
Two things prompted Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975) to write his first Cello Concerto. One was the great cellist Rostropovich, who in the 1940s amazed Moscow with his performance of a concerto by Prokofiev deemed impossible to play, and the other was the death of Stalin in 1953. For the first time in nearly 30 years, Shostakovich felt free to compose as he wished. Now, at last, he could forget the political ideology and any technical and emotional constraints, because Rostropovich had none. This Shostakovich concerto is one of the greatest tests for the cellist. The scoring is nevertheless light and brass instruments are conspicuous by their absence, apart from the French horn that tailgates the soloist like a shadow just out of sight.
The concerto is divided into two large sections: an opening one and three more, all performed without a break. The third movement consists entirely of a solo cadenza lasting nearly six minutes. Right at the beginning, the cello announces (twice) the four-note motto that will later transform into D-S-C-H. Shostakovich’s musical signature, derived from his name, occurs frequently in his works.
Daniel Müller-Schott (born 1976) is a German cellist, Co-Artistic Director of the Vevey Spring Classic Festival, and Artist in Residence at the Zurich Chamber Orchestra Festival 2025 in Switzerland.
In the 2024–2025 season, Müller-Schott performs Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 with the Helsinki Philharmonic and Cello Concerto No. 2 with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. His other engagements include concerts with the Bruckner Orchestra Linz, the Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra, the NDR Radiophilharmonie, the Orchestra Sinfonica Di Milano, and the Spanish Radio Television (RTVE) Symphony Orchestra. Müller-Schott also appears with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Carnegie Hall in New York. He tours with the Euskadi Orkestra – the Basque National Orchestra – and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. A chamber music highlight of the season is his collaboration with French pianist David Fray.
Daniel Müller-Schott studied under Steven Isserlis, Walter Nothas, Mstislav Rostropovich, and Heinrich Schiff, and was mentored by Anne-Sophie Mutter.
Pétur Sakari (b.1992), a prominent Finnish concert organist in his generation, was introduced to the instrument at the age of three, and from an early age, his talent was recognised. Sakari gave his debut concert at the age of 13. Endorsed by organ virtuoso Olivier Latry, he played his solo debut recital at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris in 2017. Since then Sakari has performed his wide-ranging repertoire actively at international venues and festivals and as a soloist with renowned orchestras. Sakari’s recent collaborations include the Grammy-nominated, globally touring British vocal ensemble VOCES8.
Pétur Sakari studied at the Helsinki Conservatory, Sibelius Academy, and École Normale de Musique de Paris. His teachers include Thierry Escaich, Vincent Warnier, Kalevi Kiviniemi, and Daniel Roth. At master classes, he has been mentored by Wolfgang Rübsam, Pierre Pincemaille, Ton Koopman, Gunnar Idenstam, and Frédéric Blanc. Sakari has received multiple Young Artist of the Year honours at international organ festivals in Finland.
Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Emmy Award-winning and Grammy-nominated conductor, works extensively with leading orchestras worldwide. Celebrating 35 years of professional conducting, he has been appointed Professor of Conducting at Rice University. In the USA, Harth-Bedoya also serves as Director of Orchestral Studies and Music Director of the Baylor Symphony Orchestra at Baylor University.
Harth-Bedoya’s considerable experience at the helm of orchestras includes tenures as Chief Conductor of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra and as Music Director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Harth-Bedoya regularly guest conducts around the world, and equally adept in opera, he has conducted both traditional and premiere productions internationally.
Born and raised in Peru, Miguel Harth-Bedoya (b. 1968) studied for a Bachelor of Music at the Curtis Institute of Music and a Master of Music at The Juilliard School, both under the guidance of Otto-Werner Mueller. He also studied with Seiji Ozawa and Gustav Meier at Tanglewood.
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.
