Saraste conducting Lahti Symphony Orchestra in St. Petersburg on October

Lahti Symphony Orchestra has concert with Jukka-Pekka Saraste in St. Petersburg on 31st of October 2008. Concert will take place in St. Petersburg State Capella. Soloist in the concert will be violinist Ilja Gringolts, who will perform Erich Korngold’s Violin Concerto and Maurice Ravel’s Tzigane as soloist numbers. In addition, in the concert will be heard Jean Sibelius’ Tone Poem The Oceanides and Béla Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra. The Concert in St. Petersburg will be Jukka-Pekka Saraste’s first concert abroad with Lahti Symphony Orchestra as Artistic Advisor. Earlier Saraste has conducted Lahti Symphony Orchestra abroad in Bremen (Germany) and in Groningen (Netherland).

Conductor Jukka-Pekka Saraste mentions Lahti always being a significant link between Finnish and Russian music. “I also started music studies in Vyborg’s Music School, which after the war was situated in Lahti. It was full of teachers and real cultural personalities coming from Russia”, he informs and continues: “By advice of Boris Sirpo I started my violin lessons under Heimo Haitto and played piano under Lea Terno. Later I continued my violin studies in Naum Levin’s class. They all had come from Vyborg or from Russia through Vyborg to Lahti.” About guest performance of next autumn Saraste points out: “I am grateful that I can be part of further developing bilateral music relationships with interesting St. Petersburg.