Phenomenal take on the Adams Violin Concerto from Leila Josefowicz, the Helsinki Philharmonic and Susanna Mälkki

Leila Josefowicz photographed by © Tom Zimberoff Given in one of those performances where everything just clicks together, John Adams’s Violin Concerto (1993) was immaculately served on Friday evening by Leila Josefowicz and the Helsinki Philharmonic under Chief Conductor Susanna Mälkki. As the score unfolded in its sounding reality, all parameters were beautifully aligned, resulting...

Missy Mazzoli’s new Violin Concerto in dazzling Nordic premiere by Jennifer Koh, the Lahti Symphony and Dalia Stasevska

Jennifer Koh, the Lahti Symphony Orchestra and Chief Conductor Dalia Stasevska perfroming Missy Mazzoli's Violin Concerto (Procession) (2021) at Sibelius Hall. © Jari Kallio It is not every day that one gets to hear a tremendous new violin concerto, but Thursday was one of those days. Given its Nordic premiere by Jennifer Koh, the Lahti...

Uplifting afternoon in the park with the San Francisco Opera

Composer Texu Kim taking a bow after Sunday's Opera in the Park performance of fffanfare!! (2022) by the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Music Director Eun Sun Kim. © Devlin Shand for Drew Altizer Photography Following Opera Ball opening night gala on Friday and the world premiere of John Adams’s new opera Antony and Cleopatra...

Classic in the making – John Adams’s Antony and Cleopatra opens at San Francisco Opera

Soprano Amina Edris and Bass-Baritone Gerald Finley in the title roles of John Adams's Antony and Cleopatra. © Cory Weaver / San Francisco Opera Although he is sure to have several aces up in his sleeve for whatever projects lie ahead, John Adams seems to have come up with an opus summum of sorts in...

A musical toast – San Francisco Opera launches its Centennial Season

Michael Fabiano, Nadine Sierra, Pene Pati and Lucas Meachem performing with San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Music Director Eun Sun Kim at the Opera Ball: The Centennial Celebration on Friday. © Kristen Loken / San Francisco Opera Opening night galas constitute an art form of their own right. Coming up with mix and match programmes...

Sibelius’s dazzling orchestral farewell with Lahti Symphony and Dalia Stasevska

Chief Conductor Dalia Stasevska and the Lahti Symphony performing a reconstruction of Sibelius's 1927 premiere programme. © Maarit Kytöharju Picking up the lead from their Friday’s programme, Lahti Symphony Orchestra and Chief Conductor Dalia Stasevska sought to pursue further the idea of reconstructing the original playlists of Jean Sibelius’s premiere concerts in their festival finale...

Album review: Heavyweight John Adams box from Nonesuch

To mark John Adams’s seventy-fifth birthday celebrations, Nonesuch Records has set forth to release a gorgeous forty-disc heavyweight box set, covering the composer’s output so far, almost in its entirety. Concealed within, thirty five original-jacketed Nonesuch albums are found, reproduced as they were first released in the course of almost forty years, completed with five...

Sibelian reaffirmation with the Lahti Symphony and Dalia Stasevska

Chief Conductor Dalia Stasevska and the Lahti Symphony performing Sibelius on Friday. © Maarit Kytöharju Taking their festival audience on a fascinating journey to the very roots of Jean Sibelius’s musical credo, the Lahti Symphony Orchestra and Chief Conductor Dalia Stasevska set forth to recreate the composer’s original programme from 3 April 1911; the world...

Into the wild with Pekka Kuusisto, the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Nicholas Collon

Pekka Kuusisto and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Nicholas Collon performing Thomas Adès's Märchentänze (2021) at Tampere Hall. © Jari Kallio The realms of nature have provided the arts with perennial inspiration. In music, the multi-faceted relationships between various natural phenomena and their multitude manifestations in sounds give rise to the ever-fascinating craft...

Orchestral chamber music at the highest level with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and Avi Avital

Lucerne Festival Orchestra in performance, lead by Raphael Christ, with Avi Avital as soloist. © Peter Fischli / Lucerne Festival The fabulous Lucerne Festival Orchestra is nothing short of cultural phenomenon. Founded in 2003 by then Music Director Claudio Abbado and Michael Haefliger, the Festival’s Executive and Artistic Director, draws together leading instrumentalists from various...