“His technically brilliant and musically unusually impressive playing had the listeners in awe. Bravos echoed as the artist was repeatedly called forth.” (Uusi Suometar, 28.2.1911) When the HPO performed Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto for the first time, the composer himself was the soloist. Now it is performed by Roman Borisov, who has a long list of competition wins in his pocket for good reason.
Encores played by Roman Borisov:
W. Bolcom: 12 New Etudes for Piano, Book III: VIII. Rag Infernal
N. Medtner: Canzona serenata from Forgotten Melodies Op.38 No 6
Kaija Saariaho (1952–2023) is possibly the best-known Finnish composer after Jean Sibelius, but not until she settled in France in the early 1980s did she arrive at her characteristic sound – airy textures and delicate, ethereal timbres. The titles of many of her works allude to nature. Ciel d’hiver(Winter Sky, 2013) is a re-orchestration she made of the second movement of her orchestral piece Orion, a purely symphonic work about the mythical hunter and son of the sea god Neptune (counterpart of the Greek Poseidon) who dies and ends up as a celestial constellation. True to style, Saariaho evokes the winter sky and biting cold by means of a harp, percussion and piccolo over a steadily growing bank of strings. The conflict between high and low in the middle section represents that between the stratosphere and the abyss, until finally a piano and cello remain twinkling in the sky.
The turn of the century found Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943) in the depths of despair. The reception of his first symphony (1897) had been catastrophic – the critics had not a good word to say for it – and he was seriously doubting his ability to compose. So in 1900 he decided that something needed to be done and sought the help of a hypnotist, who told him to sit down and start writing a concerto. Encouraged, Rachmaninoff set to work and by the end of the year had finished a concerto fit to take on a tour of Europe and the USA. Dedicated to his hypnotist, the concerto would ultimately become his most popular work.
The concerto may be heard as a symbol of its genesis, from the desperate groping of the first few bars to flowing ecstasy. The melody of the second movement, a dreamy Adagio, was made even more famous by Celine Dion in the ballad All by myself. By the finale, Rachmaninoff had thrown off all constraints. Could the slow, recurring chromatic figure just before the final build-up reflect the experience of being hypnotised?
The thing that distinguishes Antonín Dvořák (1841–1903) from previous symphonists is his ability to weave national elements into works in the Germanic style. In his 7th Symphony, he nevertheless sought to break away from associations with his native Bohemia and his ‘local hero’ aura, and went so far as to adopt a more Germanic form, Anton, of his name under pressure from his publisher. But the 8th Symphony, composed four years after the 7th, has none of the dramatic despair of its predecessor. Instead, it is a work of country dance-like melodies and reverence for the sounds of nature. It spreads a positive, carefree message using Slavic themes in which even the minor keys at times sound jubilant. “Melodies simply pour out of me,” he wrote.
The first movement begins with a sort of minor-key introduction complete with birdsong before switching to the major. Minor and major alternate even more smoothly in the pastoral Adagio. The melancholy Scherzo waltz is one of the most beautiful ever composed by Dvořák. Of the finale, Czech conductor Rafael Kubelik once said in a rehearsal: “Gentlemen, in Bohemia the trumpets never call to battle – they always call to the dance!”
Roman Borisov (born 2002) is a Russian pianist residing and studying in Berlin, where he began his studies at the Hanns Eisler School of Music Berlin with Professor Eldar Nebolsin in 2022. Introduced to the legendary piano teacher Mary Lebenzon at the Novosibirsk Conservatory at the age of four, Borisov studied with her until 2020.
Borisov's 2024–2025 season includes his debut with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, performances with the Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, a tour with the Kammerakademie Potsdam, and recitals at the Concertgebouw, Flagey, Wigmore Hall, the Verbier Festival, and the Ruhr Piano Festival.
In 2022, Roman Borisov won the First Prize at the international competition for young pianists, the Kissinger KlavierOlymp. In its statement, the jury wrote: ‘…with his highly musical, intuitive and structure-conscious interpretations of works by Liebermann, Beethoven, Rachmaninov, Brahms and Prokofiev, he demonstrated absolute creative will and impressed with his natural and consistent stage presence’.
Ariane Matiakh (born 1980) is a French conductor, currently serving her third concert season as Principal Conductor of the Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen in Germany. Matiakh’s repertoire spans ballets, operas, and symphonic works, ranging from Baroque music to contemporary compositions.
This season, Matiakh conducts the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra for the first time, and also debuts with the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne and the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. On the opera stage, the 2024–2025 season sees Matiakh make her debut at Deutsche Oper Berlin and at La Monnaie in Brussels. She first appeared as a guest-conductor at the the BBC Proms, the world’s largest classical music festival, in 2022.
Matiakh studied conducting at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna under Leopold Hager and Yuji Yuasa, furthering her studies through masterclasses with Seiji Ozawa.
In recognition of her achievements, Ariane Matiakh has been named Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France.
| Violin 1 Pekka Kauppinen Kari Olamaa Eva Ballaz Katariina Jämsä Sanna Kokko Kati Kuusava Kalinka Pirinen Harry Rayner Elina Viitasaari Sirkku Helin Aada Kuoppa Öykü Melis Sahin Pia Sundroos Violin 2 Kamran Omarli Teija Kivinen Matilda Haavisto Teppo Ali-Mattila Heini Eklund Serguei Gonzalez Pavlova Dhyani Gylling Linda Hedlund Siiri Rasta Angeles Salas Salas Virpi Taskila Mathieu Garguillo Kaisa Laurila Eleonora Oswald Viola Lotta Poijärvi Petteri Poijärvi Aulikki Haahti-Turunen Tuomas Huttunen Kaarina Ikonen Tiila Kangas Carmen Moggach Mariette Reefman Markus Sallinen Hajnalka Standi-Pulakka Jaakko Laivuori Tuukka Susiluoto Cello Tuomas Ylinen Beata Antikainen Jaani Helander Veli-Matti Iljin Päivi Paajanen Fransien Paananen Ilmo Saaristo Saara Särkimäki Joanna Hanhikoski Sami Mäkelä Bass Oskari Hänninen Tuomo Matero Paul Aksman Eero Ignatius Venla Lahti Adrian Rigopulos Saara Lassila Kati Salovaara | Flute Jenny Villanen Päivi Korhonen Janette Leván Oboe Nils Rõõmussaar Paula Malmivaara Clarinet Niina Selin Ioana Tomescu Bassoon Markus Tuukkanen Vertti Tapanainen Horn Jennifer Montone Mika Paajanen Sam Parkkonen Miska Miettunen Trumpet Thomas Bugnot Mika Tuomisalo Trombone Victor Álvarez Alegría Gabriel Ferreira Anu Fagerström Tuba Ilkka Marttila Timpani Mikael Sandström Percussion Xavi Castelló Aràndiga Pasi Suomalainen Harp Anni Kuusimäki Keyboard Minnaleena Jankko Minna Koskimies |
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.
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