Symphonies No. 1 and 6
Fri Jan 7 — Sat Jan 8, 2022
Orchestra Hall
Together, Osmo Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra were awarded a Grammy for their recording of Sibelius’ First and Fourth Symphonies. They return to the First in this special Sibelius Festival performance, also taking on the Sixth Symphony. Plus violinist Elina Vähälä plays the original 1903-04 version of the Finnish composer’s Violin Concerto. You might have heard this concerto before, but this version is a rarity and has never been played in Orchestra Hall.
A Few Things to Know
- Sibelius himself described his Sixth Symphony as “a drink of pure spring water.”
- Do you love the Sibelius Violin Concerto? Next week, Elina Vähälä is back on stage to perform Sibelius’ completely revised version of the same piece!
- Enjoy the lush sounds of the Minnesota Orchestra performing Sibelius in your own home by purchasing one of our CDs.
Program
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SIBELIUS
Symphony No. 6
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SIBELIUS
Violin Concerto (original version)
- INTERMISSION
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SIBELIUS
Symphony No. 1
Artists
Minnesota Orchestra
Osmo Vänskä
conductor
Elina Vähälä
violin
The Grammy Award-winning Minnesota Orchestra, led by Danish conductor Thomas Søndergård—who is serving as music director designate during the 2022-23 season—is recognized for distinguished performances around the world, award-winning recordings and broadcasts, educational engagement programs, and commitment to building the orchestral repertoire of the future. Founded in 1903, the Orchestra has an extensive history of touring throughout Minnesota, nationally and abroad, including high-profile visits in recent years to Cuba, Europe and South Africa. Recording projects undertaken in the past two decades include complete cycles of symphonies by Beethoven, Sibelius and Mahler, all recorded under Osmo Vänskä, who is now the Orchestra’s conductor laureate.
Minnesota Orchestra Conductor Laureate Osmo Vänskä, whose 19-year tenure as the Orchestra’s music director concluded in summer 2022, is renowned internationally for his compelling interpretations of the standard, contemporary and Nordic repertoires. His multi-year project with the Orchestra to perform and record all ten Mahler symphonies concluded in November 2022 with the Third Symphony. Signature initiatives of his music director tenure included a Sibelius symphonies cycle that earned the Orchestra its first Grammy Award and major tours to Cuba, Europe and South Africa. As a guest conductor, he has received extraordinary praise for his work with many of the world’s leading orchestras.
Elina Vähälä appears regularly with all of the key Finnish orchestras as well being a guest of countless high-profile orchestras across the globe such as Houston Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven Orchester Bonn, Dortmund Philharmoniker, Istanbul State Symphony, Malmo Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, RTVE Spanish Radio Orchestra, and has toured throughout the UK, Finland, Germany, China, Korea and South America. She enjoys a fruitful working partnership with many leading conductors such as Leonard Slatkin, Carlos Kalmar, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Okko Kamu, Jakub Hrůša, Thierry Fischer, Sakari Oramo, Leif Segerstam, Josep Caballé-Domenech, Alexander Liebreich, and Michał Nesterowicz.
The 2021/22 season will see Elina Vähälä return to Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra and Seoul International Music Festival as well as her debuts with Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra and Pannon Philharmonic. She will also appear at the festivals in Tampere, Clandeboye and Oulu, where she has recently been appointed Artistic Director.
Your Concert Experience
Join us for Q&A’s, hosted discussions, exhibits and more. All free with your concert ticket!
The World of Jean Sibelius Exhibit
When: Fri Jan 7-Sat Jan 8 | Pre-Concert and Intermission
Where: Balcony A
"The World of Jean Sibelius," produced by Finnish documentarian Pekka Hako, is comprised of panels illustrating in images and text Sibelius' life and work. Learn about Sibelius as a composer, a student, an artist, and a family man. This exhibit is sponsored by the Finlandia Foundation.
Osmo Vänskä Retrospective Photography Exhibit
When: Fri Jan7-Sat Jan 8 | Pre-Concert and Intermission
Where: Roberta Mann Grand Foyer
Stroll down memory lane in our lobby photography exhibit, as we celebrate some of the indelible moments of the last two decades with Music Director Osmo Vänskä.
Accessibility Services
- Assistive Listening Devices
- Large Print Programs
- Service Animals
- Wheelchair & Accessible Seating
Additional services are available upon request.
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