Lahti Symphony Orchestra: Sibelius Festival 2026 – Symphony Concert

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT 10 % discount is valid 29.8.–29.9.2025.  

HANNU LINTU, conductor
KIRILL GERSTEIN, piano
YL MALE VOICE CHOIR

Jean Sibelius: Valse Triste (1904)
Ferruccio Busoni: Piano Concerto (1903)
Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 3 (1907)
Jean Sibelius: Finlandia (1900)

The golden age of male choral singing dates back to the 19th century in German-speaking countries. It made its way from patriotic occasions and taverns onto concert platforms throughout Europe. Sibelius and his friend Ferruccio Busoni, who taught piano at the Helsinki Music Institute, were both fascinated by the sonority and expressive power of the male-voice choir. Busoni would hardly have included a male choir in his vast Piano Concerto had he not been influenced by Franz Liszt and Sibelius.

5.30 pm Pre-concert Talk

ENCOUNTERS

SIBELIUS FESTIVAL 2025-2027
‘The originality of Jean Sibelius’s output can prevent us from noticing his connections with other composers and musical styles. We know that as a young man he admired Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner and that he was well aware of the stylistic turbulence of the early 20th century. His circle of friends included some of the most important international musicians of the era. The timelessness and contemporary approach of Sibelius’s late period inspired future composers. As part of the Sibelius Festival, we want to show what those connections mean in practice.

One festival is not enough; we need three.

I have considered it a special honour to plan the Sibelius Festival and have sought to keep the focus of the programme on the master composer’s output. The works by other composers have been selected according to the above considerations. I am grateful for this trust and look forward to magical encounters with Sibelius.’

Hannu Lintu, Artistic Director, Lahti Symphony Orchestra´s Sibelius Festival