Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra

Two prominent Finnish names in music are Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra’s Conductor Laureate Sakari Oramo, and Anu Komsi, celebrated for her crystal-clear soprano and light, high register. Here, they take on Saarikoski Songs by fellow countryman Kaija Saariaho, a piece that was commissioned by Komsi. Saariaho’s expressive, painterly music is infused with a rare beauty that made her unique in the world of modern classical music. She passed away in June earlier this year, at 70 years of age. 

A female pioneer preceding Saariaho was Grace Williams. She studied under Vaughan Williams and became established by the mid-twentieth century, and was also Wales’ first symphonist. Her Fairest of Stars for soprano and orchestra is a shimmering, beautiful piece with text from John Milton’s Paradise Lost.

Sinfonia da Requiem from 1940 was a Japanese commission for a piece of music in celebration of the 2600-year anniversary of the founding of the Japanese Empire. Pacifist Benjamin Britten provided an incredibly powerful, yet deeply fateful work that surprised everyone.  

The concert begins with music by American Andrew Norman (born 1979), which the Los Angeles Times described as “the leading American composer of his generation.” We hear his imaginative, vivid, and – as the title suggests – loose-lipped Unstuck.

The Carl Nielsen International Competition has been held in Odense, Denmark every three years since the 1970s. First place in 2022 in the flute category went to the young Italian flute player Alberto Navarra – and as the soloist in Carl Nielsen’s Flute Concerto, we can see why. 

Italian Daniela Musca conducted at the latest Carl Nielsen competition in 2022. She debuted with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra at a summer concert in 2021 and was promptly invited to return. She now leads the orchestra in Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet, and the emotional music draws is into a love story that is tragic and famous in equal measure. 

First we hear an energetic overture by German Emilie Mayer. She was one of the most significant German symphonic composers in the period between Schumann and Brahms and composed numerous large-scale works in the genre – inspired by Beethoven, among others.

Together, we’re searching for the hidden treasures found In The Hall of the Mountain King. Along the way, we meet trolls from the forest, giants, witches and animals. Ayla Kabaca leads the search and sings songs about trolls with the audience, including “Ett gammalt fult och elakt troll” (An Old, Ugly, Mean Troll) and “Trollmors vaggsång” (Troll Mother’s Lullaby).

Nordic music sets the tone In the Hall of the Mountain King, with classic images painted by John Bauer. This performance is produced in partnership with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.

Note

It is not possible to bring strollers into the Stockholm Concert Hall, if possible leave the them at home.