HPO autumn season kicks off with world premiere

The season opening concert on Friday 8 September features the world premiere of the violin concerto Time and Tides by Anna Clyne, Composer in Residence for the 2023/24 season, followed by Anton Bruckner's Fifth Symphony. The concert will be conducted by the HPO's new Chief Conductor and Artistic Director Jukka-Pekka Saraste, and the violin soloist will be the orchestra's Principal Guest Conductor and Artistic Co-Director Pekka Kuusisto.

The artistic directors of HPO will share the conductor's podium the following week, when Saraste and Kuusisto will take it in turns conducting Sibelius, Haydn, Clyne and Varèse on Wednesday 13 September and Thursday 14 September. Before Wednesday's concert, Saraste and Kuusisto will be guests of Aleksi Malmberg, General Manager of the HPO, in a pre-concert talk on the terrace of the Helsinki Music Centre.

Electronic sound installation in the Music Centre

In connection with the first two concert weeks of the autumn season, the electronic sound installation Etiäisiä - Premonitions by sound designer and artist Tuomas Norvio can be heard in the main foyer and Terrace foyer of the Music Centre. The seeds of the sound material can be found in the final movement of Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 5 as arranged and played by organist Jan Lehtola, as well as in the parts played and sung by Pekka Kuusisto from the folk songs that can be found in the background of Clyne's Time and Tides violin concerto.

The popular Encounters Clubs will also continue in the new concert season. These free and open to all clubs are held in the main foyer of Music Centre once a month. The opening club is also inspired by the Irish and Finnish folk tunes that inspired Clyne's violin concerto: Pekka Kuusisto's guest will be Irish-born, Edinburgh-based violinist-composer-producer Aidan O'Rourke.

Tickets for 15-25 year olds for just 2 euros

The HPO is offering young audiences between the ages of 15 to 25 the chance to attend concerts at Musiikkitalo for the special price of just two euros throughout the 2023-2024 season. The aim is to support the inclusion of young people and young adults while also promoting the financial accessibility of its concerts. The 2-euro tickets for 15-25 year olds will go on sale a week before each concert, and they will be sold as long as seats are available.

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