Helsinki Festival: Sibelius Academy & Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music and the Sibelius Academy’s symphony orchestras together conducted by Sakari Oramo
There will be a massive burst of energy from young musicians, when Sakari Oramo, professor of conducting at the Sibelius Academy of the Uniarts Helsinki, brings together the symphony orchestras of two of the world’s top music schools, the Royal College of Music in London and the Sibelius Academy. The orchestra will perform at the final concert of the Helsinki festival at Helsinki Music Centre’s concert hall on September 1, 2024, and a week earlier at the world’s largest classical music festival, the BBC Proms, on August 25, 2024.
The programme includes Jean Sibelius’ Skogsrået Op. 15, Gustav Holst’s Planets and Lara Poe’s Songs from the Countryland premiere in Finland, with soprano Anu Komsi as the soloist. The fresh song series by Poe, a Finnish-American and studying in London, reflects on our relationship with animals. The work was written for Anu Komsi. The new work is framed by the legends of Finnish and British music, Sibelius and Holst.
Performers
- Royal College of Music symphony orchestra (London)
- Sibelius Academy Symphony Orchestra
- Helsinki chamber choir
- Sakari Oramo, conductor
- Anu Komsi, soprano
Programme
- Sibelius: Skogsrået Op. 15
- Poe: Songs from the Countryland (Finnish premiere)
- Holst: Planets
About the Sibelius Academy Symphony Orchestra
The Sibelius Academy Symphony Orchestra has been the backbone of Finnish orchestral training since 1916. In its spectacular productions, the Academy’s students are given the opportunity to showcase their skills in a full orchestra, alongside world-renowned professionals such as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Okko Kamu, John Storgårds, Osmo Vänskä, Sakari Oramo, Mikko Franck, Eva Ollikainen, Hannu Lintu ja Susanna Mälkki.
The orchestra’s home is the Musiikkitalo (Helsinki Music Centre) concert hall. It also regularly visits other venues both in Finland and abroad. We work with the world’s leading music universities to prepare students for an increasingly international and demanding working life. In our projects, students get to work with top professionals and network under the guidance of, for example, composers, conductors, musicians and agents in educational institutions around the world. Sakari Oramo, Professor of Orchestra Education, is responsible for the educational content of the orchestra. He also conducts the orchestra regularly. Currently he is the Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
The internationally renowned Sibelius Academy has educated thousands of artists and music experts since 1882. We are proud of our heritage, and we consider preserving and updating music culture as our fundamental task. Uncompromising enthusiasm for getting things done and a love for music are at the core of our activities. In recent years, we have been ranked among the world’s best institutions of higher education in the performing arts (QS World University Rankings by Subject). The cornerstones of our operations are teaching, research, and artistic activities. We are one of Europe’s largest music academies and an international community of about 1,400 students and 500 teachers. The focus of the studies is for students to grow into professional artists who know their own creative identity. Public concerts are an essential part of how our students grow to become artists. We showcase our artistic activities in about a thousand concerts and other events each year. The events are held at the core of Helsinki’s cultural life, at the Helsinki Music Centre.
Further information
Nina Lackman
nina.lackman@uniarts.fi
The concert is supported by the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation.
News about the concert
Mannerheimintie renovation project
Access to the Musiikkitalo from the direction of Mannerheimintie will be difficult. We recommend that you allow enough time for your arrival and use the entrance on the side of Kansalaistori if possible. According to current information, the entrance to Mannerheimintie will also remain in use throughout the renovation, but pedestrian routes can be challenging at times.
There will be a massive burst of energy from young musicians, when Sakari Oramo, professor of conducting at the Sibelius Academy of the Uniarts Helsinki, brings together the symphony orchestras of two of the world’s top music schools, the Royal College of Music in London and the Sibelius Academy. The orchestra will perform at the final concert of the Helsinki festival at Helsinki Music Centre’s concert hall on September 1, 2024, and a week earlier at the world’s largest classical music festival, the BBC Proms, on August 25, 2024.
The programme includes Jean Sibelius’ Skogsrået Op. 15, Gustav Holst’s Planets and Lara Poe’s Songs from the Countryland premiere in Finland, with soprano Anu Komsi as the soloist. The fresh song series by Poe, a Finnish-American and studying in London, reflects on our relationship with animals. The work was written for Anu Komsi. The new work is framed by the legends of Finnish and British music, Sibelius and Holst.
Performers
- Royal College of Music symphony orchestra (London)
- Sibelius Academy Symphony Orchestra
- Helsinki chamber choir
- Sakari Oramo, conductor
- Anu Komsi, soprano
Programme
- Sibelius: Skogsrået Op. 15
- Poe: Songs from the Countryland (Finnish premiere)
- Holst: Planets
About the Sibelius Academy Symphony Orchestra
The Sibelius Academy Symphony Orchestra has been the backbone of Finnish orchestral training since 1916. In its spectacular productions, the Academy’s students are given the opportunity to showcase their skills in a full orchestra, alongside world-renowned professionals such as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Okko Kamu, John Storgårds, Osmo Vänskä, Sakari Oramo, Mikko Franck, Eva Ollikainen, Hannu Lintu ja Susanna Mälkki.
The orchestra’s home is the Musiikkitalo (Helsinki Music Centre) concert hall. It also regularly visits other venues both in Finland and abroad. We work with the world’s leading music universities to prepare students for an increasingly international and demanding working life. In our projects, students get to work with top professionals and network under the guidance of, for example, composers, conductors, musicians and agents in educational institutions around the world. Sakari Oramo, Professor of Orchestra Education, is responsible for the educational content of the orchestra. He also conducts the orchestra regularly. Currently he is the Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
The internationally renowned Sibelius Academy has educated thousands of artists and music experts since 1882. We are proud of our heritage, and we consider preserving and updating music culture as our fundamental task. Uncompromising enthusiasm for getting things done and a love for music are at the core of our activities. In recent years, we have been ranked among the world’s best institutions of higher education in the performing arts (QS World University Rankings by Subject). The cornerstones of our operations are teaching, research, and artistic activities. We are one of Europe’s largest music academies and an international community of about 1,400 students and 500 teachers. The focus of the studies is for students to grow into professional artists who know their own creative identity. Public concerts are an essential part of how our students grow to become artists. We showcase our artistic activities in about a thousand concerts and other events each year. The events are held at the core of Helsinki’s cultural life, at the Helsinki Music Centre.
Further information
Nina Lackman
nina.lackman@uniarts.fi
The concert is supported by the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation.
News about the concert
Mannerheimintie renovation project
Access to the Musiikkitalo from the direction of Mannerheimintie will be difficult. We recommend that you allow enough time for your arrival and use the entrance on the side of Kansalaistori if possible. According to current information, the entrance to Mannerheimintie will also remain in use throughout the renovation, but pedestrian routes can be challenging at times.