Sibelius and Monnakgotla

As Finland’s national composer, Jean Sibelius became a symbol of the country’s cultural identity after its liberation from Russia, including by integrating national elements in the music. This is especially true of the Lemminkäinen Suite, the story of which is based on the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic. The piece was originally intended as a mythological opera, but Sibelius scrapped that idea and formulated a four-movement symphonic poem instead.

The programme also includes the world premiere of Swedish composer Tebogo Monnakgotla’s Violin Concerto, which was commissioned by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra together with Sinfonia Lahti and BBC Symphony Orchestra. Monnakgotla has been called “one of the most prominent Swedish composers of her generation”. The violin concerto is one in a series of pieces that deal with climate change as well as holding a fascination for the forces of nature. 

Johan Dalene, the violin soloist, is just 21 years old, but he has already been featured on the international scene. Dalene won first prize at the prestigious Carl Nielsen International Competition in 2019 and was one of the internationally chosen Rising Stars of the 2021/22 season. Dalene and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra’s recordings of Sibelius and Nielsen’s violin concertos were released (on BIS) in spring 2021, after which Dalene was named Young Artist of the Year 2022 by Gramophone magazine. 

Finnish John Storgårds leads the orchestra here. He has a double career as a violin virtuoso and a successful conductor, and is known for his creative programming and exciting, refined performances. Storgårds is principal guest conductor of both the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, Canada.