A telegram arrives from Hamburg in July 1900: “Today's concert was a great success. When the programme ended, Kajanus and Sibelius received ovations, they were constantly called forward, people shouted bravo, applauded, waved hats and handkerchiefs. Kajanus received a laurel wreath.” (Vasa Nyheter, 21 July 1900).
"But I'm not a violinist!" exclaimed Igor Stravinsky when his publisher suggested that he compose a violin concerto. The composer nevertheless took up the task with great self-confidence: “My concerto was not inspired by and did not allow itself to be influenced by any role model. I do not like standard violin concertos, those of Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms.”
Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971) hesitated when asked to write a Violin Concerto because he was not a violinist, but his colleague Paul Hindemith said this could be an advantage, as he would have a fresh approach. He conducted the premiere in 1931 with Samuel Dushkin, who had helped him with technical issues, as the soloist. It differed so greatly from the models of, say, Beethoven and Brahms that some in the audience took it as a cynical joke. The focus is not so much on the soloist as on the relationship between the solo and other instruments, and the leader of the orchestra even has a chance to vie with the soloist in the finale.
The focus is not so much on the soloist as on the relationship between the solo and other instruments, and the leader of the orchestra even has a chance to vie with the soloist in the finale.
Each of the movements begins with the same chord (D–E–A) on the solo violin. The outer movements (Toccata and Capriccio) abound in humour and rhythmic vitality. Both the inner movements bear the title Aria (though a work of his neo-classical period, only after completing the work did Stravinsky give the movements their Baroque headings), the first darkly lyrical and the second unusually melancholy.
Jean Sibelius first began debating whether to write a symphony in 1898, possibly a programmatic one inspired by the example of Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique. His early works had mostly been chamber and instrumental ones, but he did have experience of writing for orchestra, having already composed some tone poems, such as En Saga and the Lemminkäinen suite, and the Kullervo symphony for choir and orchestra.
The Symphony no. 1 in E minor is nevertheless ‘absolute’ music. It was premiered at a concert in 1899 by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra with Sibelius himself conducting and won an enthusiastic reception both at home and abroad. When the Orchestra travelled to Paris in 1900 for the World Expo, the symphony was the main item on its concert programme.
When the Orchestra travelled to Paris in 1900 for the World Expo, the symphony was the main item on its concert programme.
The E minor is the most traditional of all the Sibelius symphonies. The idiom is romantic and broad-gestured and Tchaikovsky can be sensed hovering in the background, along with ghosts from the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala. The symphony also has features pointing in the direction of Beethoven, such as the classical four movements.
Pekka Kuusisto (b. 1976) is one of Finland’s most renowned musicians. At the commencement of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2025/26 concert season, Kuusisto began his third and final year as Principal Guest Conductor. Additionally, as Co-Artistic director, he is a member of the Artistic Leadership Team responsible for planning the programme. In the HPO’s concerts, Pekka Kuusisto will perform as a soloist, conductor, and also as a player-director at the front of the orchestra with his violin.
Pekka Kuusisto’s career as a solo artist took off in 1995 when he won the International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition at the age of 19. Since then, he has toured concert halls around the world. Kuusisto’s repertoire spans classical music to modern experiments. He improvises and composes, readily intertwining music with other art forms, aiming to make concerts more accessible and engaging for the audience.
In addition to Helsinki, he frequents Oslo (Norwegian Chamber Orchestra), Gothenburg (Gothenburg Symphony), and Bremen (Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie).
Kuusisto plays the Antonio Stradivari ‘Scotta’ violin of 1709 generously loaned by a patron through the Tarisio auction house.
Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, has established himself as one of the outstanding conductors of his generation. Born in Finland in 1956, he began his career as a violinist. Today, he is renowned as an artist of exceptional versatility and breadth.
Saraste has previously held principal conductorships at the WDR Symphony Orchestra in Cologne, the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and has served as Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. As a guest conductor, he appears with major orchestras worldwide, including the Orchestre de Paris, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Staatskapelle Berlin, the Cleveland Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Symphony Orchestras of Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco.
Coaching and mentoring young musicians is of great importance to Saraste. He is a founding member of the LEAD! Foundation, a mentorship programme for young conductors and soloists.
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.
