Lahti SO celebrates the 5th Anniversary of the Sibelius Hall with concerts on 17 and 18 March

The Lahti Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Chief Conductor Osmo Vänskä, celebrates the 5th Anniversary of the Sibelius Hall in Lahti with concerts on 17 and 18 March 2005 at 7 pm. In the concert programme there are the 1895 version of the Spring Song by Sibelius, the world première performance (17 March) of the Symphony No. 13 by Kalevi Aho (composer-in-residence of the Lahti SO) and the Violin Concerto by Brahms, with Viktoria Mullova as the solist. The concert is arranged in collaboration with the Sibelius Hall, which has commissioned the new Symphony by Aho. The YLE Radio 1 Channel broadcasts the concert of 17 March on Sunday 20 March at 7.03 pm.

The Association of Finnish Symphony Orchestras (www.sinfoniaorkesterit.fi), established in Lahti in 1965, arranges the 40th National Orchestra Conference in Lahti on 18-20 March 2005. In connection of the conference there is also a meeting of the IAOA (International Alliance of Orchestra Associations).

The subtitle of Kalevi Aho’s Symphony No. 13 (2003) is ‘Sinfonisia luonnekuvia’ (‘Symphonic Character Sketches’). The work consists of two long movements; these are divided into a number of smaller sections that differ widely in character. The composition attempts to depict various human stereotypes with the aid of music. The character of the music thus changes constantly – simple, almost tonal music can give way to a dissonant, aggressive style which, in turn, may yield to energetic, comical writing. The work remains clearly symphonic in nature, however. The work was commissioned by the Sibelius Hall in Lahti for its fifth anniversary celebrations, and the work makes good use of the musical ‘accommodation’ offered by the hall itself. Sometimes the trumpets and horns play from high up on the lighting balcony, or from within the echo chambers that surround the auditorium. It is possible, however, to perform the composition in other concert halls as well.