OSMO VÄNSKÄ, conductor
TAMI POHJOLA, violin

Jessie Montgomery: Banner for solo string quartet and orchestra (first Finnish performance)
Kalevi Aho: Violin Concerto No. 2
Ernst Pingoud: Prologue, tone poem
Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 3

Duration 2h, inc. 20 min intermission

Osmo Vänskä and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra have a history together that needs no introduction. The former principal conductor and main architect of the orchestra’s worldwide renown presents a programme celebrating the versatility of Finnish music. Vänskä’s trademark, Sibelius’s luminous Symphony No. 3 in C major, will be the highlight of the evening.

The Second Violin Concerto by the orchestra’s honorary composer Kalevi Aho is pure Aho; a dramatic arc with fascinating, fleeting details and soaring heights. The spectacular solo part is performed by Tami Pohjola, tipped to be Finland’s next super-violinist.

An outsider in Finnish music history and a contemporary of Sibelius, Ernst Pingoud wrote music in the wrong place at the wrong time. The symphonic poem Prologue, full of French-style riches, is a prime example of a musical language that shocked Finnish audiences.

Banner by Jessie Montgomery, winner of the Grammy for the Best Contemporary Composition of 2024, updates the US National Anthem for the 21st century.