The entire program for the spring season of the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra has been announced, and tickets are now on sale.
TPO's Principal Guest Conductor, Christian Kluxen, will open the orchestra's spring season on Thursday, January 11th, at 7 PM and on Friday, January 12th, at 6 PM at the Concert Hall. Kluxen captivated the audience in Turku in November with his intense interpretation of Johannes Brahms's Ein deutsches Requiem, and for the spring opening concerts, the program once again features music from the Romantic era. The January concerts will include Richard Strauss's song cycle Vier letzte Lieder with soprano Christina Nilsson, as well as Rued Langgaard's almost cinematic Symphony No. 1. Before the concerts, there will be a Head Start open to concertgoers, where they can get acquainted with the evening's artists and program.
Symphony series full of musical delights
In January, the symphony series continues on Friday, January 19th, with Viennese classical repertoire. Under the direction of conductor Bernard Labadie, the audience will hear music by Joseph Haydn and W. A. Mozart, featuring Andreas Brantelid's interpretation of Haydn's cello concerto. For lovers of classics, a treat awaits on Thursday, January 25th, and Friday, January 26th, as Julian Rachlin returns to Turku to perform Felix Mendelssohn's violin concerto, one of the world's most famous concertos.
In February, TPO takes its audience to Rome, as conductor Fabien Gabel presents one elegant Italian composition after another on the evening of February 1st. During the concert the audience will hear, among others, the melodies of Giacomo Puccini and Giuseppe Verdi. Conductor Gergely Madaras and flutist Noemi Gyori bring vibrant colors on the threshold of winter vacation during the concerts on February 15th–16th, featuring Jacques Ibert's flute concerto and the colorful and emotionally gripping melodies of Pyotr Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5.
In March, the stage belongs to TPO´s concertmasters Matti Koponen and Philip Zuckerman on Friday, March 8th. The duo has crafted a layered program that, like a roller coaster, takes the listener from one style and century to another. The evening offers music ranging from J. S. Bach to Beethoven and Max Richter. On Thursday, March 14th, the concert conducted by Erle Kont includes Irina Zahharenkova's interpretation of Henryk Górecki's breathtaking harpsichord concerto. The evening also features Jean Sibelius's beloved and bright Second Symphony.
April begins stormily with conductor Anu Tali and pianist Mishka Rushdie Momen on April 11th–12th. Erkki-Sven Tüür's "storm spell" kicks off the evening. As a solo piece, Momen performs Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23, and the evening culminates with Antonín Dvořák's hit, the Symphony No. 9, "From the New World." On Thursday, April 18th, in the "Eight Seasons" concert, TPO is once again conducted by Principal Guest Conductor Christian Kluxen. The theremin player Carolina Eyck serves as the soloist, performing the concert's eponymous work, Kalevi Aho's concerto for theremin and chamber orchestra. The concert celebrates Kalevi Aho, who turns 75 in March, and the audience can get to know him during the concert's prelude starting at 5:30 PM. On Friday, April 26th, in the "Northern Colors" concert, conductor Emilia Hoving and cellist Amalie Stalheim delve into Scandinavian repertoire.
In May, TPO performs again with young soloists on Wednesday, May 8th, in a concert led by Kristian Sallinen. The symphony season concludes on Thursday, May 16th, with conductor Christoph Poppen and pianist Laura Mikkola. Mikkola's performance includes Maurice Ravel's jazz-influenced Piano Concerto, and the evening ends with Felix Mendelssohn's Fourth Symphony, radiating the light and joy of summer.
Concerts for every taste around Turku
At the Turku Cathedral, TPO performs on Thursday, February 8th, as part of the "Cathedral Sounds" week, and on Good Friday, March 29th, when listeners can enjoy Pekka Kostianen's Easter Oratorio under the direction of Ville Matvejeff.
Chamber music concerts designed by TPO musicians take listeners to enjoy diverse concert experiences at the Ecumenical Art Chapel of St. Henry on Sunday, January 21st, Turku Castle on Sunday, March 3rd, the Old City Hall on Sunday 24th of March and the Sibelius Museum on Saturday, April 20th, and Sunday, May 5th.
In May, TPO musicians escape from the Concert Hall. During the "Spot the Musician!" week, the orchestra performs, among other events, with the Timo Lassy Trio at the Ruissalo Shipyard on Thursday, May 23rd. All events during the week of May 20th–25th will be announced during the spring.
The spring season has already announced the Abba – Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! concerts with the vocal ensemble Rajaton on February 29th–March 2nd, as well as the Hevisaurus – Symphonically Räyh! concerts with the family-favorite band Hevisaurus on March 22nd–23rd. Additionally, in collaboration with the Turku City Theatre and the Saaristo-ooppera, TPO produces the chamber opera "Ihminen parhaan kykynsä mukaan" with its premiere on Thursday, April 4th, and nine other performances at the City Theatre's small stage in April.
Buy tickets
Explore the season's concerts here.