Conductor Nicolò Umberto Foron to Replace André de Ridder
Conductor André de Ridder was originally scheduled to conduct the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra's Musica nova Helsinki concert on Friday, February 14, 2025. However, de Ridder has had to withdraw from his visit to Finland, and conductor Nicolò Umberto Foron will take his place.
Despite the change in conductor, the program remains as previously announced. The concert, part of the Musica nova Helsinki festival, will feature contemporary music, including Finnish premieres of works by Lisa Streich, Rebecca Saunders, Bára Gísladóttir, and Piyawat Louilarpprasert, as well as the world premiere of a new composition by Olli Virtaperko. Organist Susanne Kujala will perform the organ part in Virtaperko’s Aarre, composed for the organ of the Helsinki Music Centre and symphony orchestra. In addition, violinist Carolin Widmann will perform the solo part in Rebecca Saunders’ Still for violin and orchestra.
At just 27 years old, Nicolò Umberto Foron is currently the assistant conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. A graduate of the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and the Royal College of Music in London, Foron was selected for the Tanglewood Conducting Fellowship in the summer of 2022 and won the prestigious Donatella Flick Conducting Competition in 2023.
Foron, known for his wide-ranging repertoire, has conducted numerous world premieres and worked closely with Ensemble Intercontemporain, founded by Pierre Boulez. This concert marks Foron's debut with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra.
The Musica nova Helsinki concert by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra will be broadcast live on Yle Areena and Yle Radio 1. Tickets available here.
Programme
Friday 14.2.2025 at 19:00
André de Ridder, conductor
Carolin Widmann, violin
Susanne Kujala, organ
Lisa Streich: ISHJÄRTA (first performance in Finland)
Rebecca Saunders: Still (first performance in Finland)
Bára Gísladóttir: ÓS (first performance in Finland)
Piyawat Louilarpprasert: Ptera (first performance in Finland)
Olli Virtaperko: Aarre for symphony orchestra and the Helsinki Music Centre Organ, Helsinki Variations (World premiere)