Anna Thorvaldsdóttir’s awe-inspiring CATAMORPHOSIS in pristine Finnish premiere performance in Tampere

Chief Conductor Matthew Halls and the Tampere Philharmonic rehearsing Anna Thorvaldsdóttir's CATAMORPHOSIS (2020) at Tampere Hall on Wednesday. © Jari Kallio Resuming their inspired forays into marvelously varied orchestral repertoire, the Tampere Philharmonic and Chief Conductor Matthew Halls went on to deliver yet another sold-out concert on Friday evening. Keeping up with last week’s top-notch...

Poignant Elgar and roaring Stravinsky from Alban Gerhardt, the Tampere Philharmonic and Matthew Halls

Alban Gerhardt and the Tampere Philharmonic, conducted by Matthew Halls in rehearsal for Sir Edward Elgar's Cello Concerto, op. 85 (1919) at Tampere Hall on Wednesday. © Jari Kallio Appearing side by side on Friday evening’s set-list by the Tampere Philharmonic and Chief Conductor Matthew Halls, joined by cellist Alban Gerhardt as soloist, two astounding...

Touring with Salonen and Sibelius – Christoffer Sundqvist, the FRSO and Nicholas Collon in Sastamala

Christoffer Sundqvist, the Finnish Radio Symphony and Nicholas Collon rehearsing Esa-Pekka Salonen's clarinet concerto kínēma (2021) at Vexve Arena on Monday. © Markku Uusitalo Concluding their Finnish tour in Sastamala on Monday, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chief Conductor Nicholas Collon took the house with a splendid programme of Esa-Pekka Salonen and Jean Sibelius, featuring...

Premieres and contemporary classics with Piia Komsi, Tampere Philharmonic and Olari Elts

Piia Komsi and the Tampere Philharmonic, conducted by Olari Elts, in rehearsal for Unsuk Chin's Puzzles and Games from Alice in Wonderland (2017) at the Tampere Hall on Friday. © Maarit Kytöharju Heard in conjunction with Tampere Biennale on Friday, the evening concert by the Tampere Philharmonic, guest conducted by Olari Elts and featuring soprano...

Performances of intensity and merit – Hannu Lintu debuts with Berliner Philharmoniker

Hannu Lintu conducting Sibelius with the Berliner Philharmoniker on Thursday © Monika Rittershaus The very air of the main hall of the Berlin Philharmonie buzzed with excitement ahead of this week's performances by the Berliner Philharmoniker. Teaming up for the very first time with Hannu Lintu for an exquisite 20th and 21st century programme heard on...

Many meetings with Jörg Widmann, Lisa Batiashvili, Tsotne Zedginidze et al. at Kammermusiksaal

Composer-in-Residence and clarinetist Jörg Widmann at the Philharmonie. © Stefan Höderath / Berliner Philharmoniker An evening of many inspired meetings took place at the Kammermusiksaal of the Berlin Philharmonie on Wednesday, as Artist-in-Residence, violinist Lisa Batiashvili and Composer-in-Residence and clarinetist Jörg Widmann, joined by pianist Denis Kozhukhin, young composer and pianist Tsotne Zedginidze and members of...

Flourishes and premieres from Pacho Flores, Tampere Philharmonic and Christian Vásquez

Composer Tuomas Turriago embracing trumpeter Pacho Flores after the world premiere of Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra (2023) with the Tampere Philharmonic, conducted by Christian Vásquez. © Jari Kallio Among all those intriguing trajectories found within the realm of so-called classical music, discovering the vast, living musical traditions of the Americas has its rightful place...

St John Passion clad in ever-contemporary raiment under Matthew Halls

Chief Conductor Matthew Halls directing St John Passion in rehearsal with the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir at Tampere Hall. © Jari Kallio Three centuries after its first performance at the St Nicholas Church in Leipzig on Good Friday of 1724, Johann Sebastian Bach’s St John Passion (Passio secundum Joannem), BWV 245 keeps stirring the...

From Timo Andres world premiere to City Noir – vigorous American narratives with Aaron Diehl, the LA Phil and John Adams

John Adams conducting the Los Angels Philharmonic in his 2009 symphony-but-name City Noir at Walt Disney Concert Hall. © Elizabeth Asher, courtesy of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Whenever John Adams and the Los Angeles Philharmonic team up, wondrous things are bound to happen. Coming from their previous full-scale joint endeavor, two concert presentations of the...

San Francisco Symphony and Salonen took Disney Hall with Adams and Sibelius

Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting John Adams's Naive and Sentimental Music (1998-99) with the San Francisco Symphony at Walt Disney Concert Hall. © Timothy Norris / Walt Disney Concert Hall In the light of recent news from San Francisco, Friday evening’s guest performance by the San Francisco Symphony and their (regrettably) outgoing Music Director Esa-Pekka...