On May 12, Susanna Mälkki returns to the helm of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra for an exciting concert with renowned pianist Kirill Gerstein performing Schumann’s beloved Piano Concerto in A minor, plus the highly anticipated world premiere of Kaija Saariaho’s Vista.
Saariaho’s latest orchestral work, Vista, is a joint commission by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, Oslo Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic Association. The composer came up with the name for her new piece while driving along the West Coast of the USA: “The road signs indicating scenic areas say ‘Vista’ on them. New landscapes opened up for me, quite literally, as right before the trip I completed my new opera, which I had been working on for years.”
“Vista lives up to its name as a piece that reveals new horizons. The ever-unfolding world of Kaija Saariaho’s soundscape is rich and broad, and the orchestral palette is novel. It’s a tremendous honour and joy that Saariaho’s newest piece is written for us”, Susanna Mälkki says.
This concert will be streamed on May 12 at 7pm EEST via HKO Screen. For more information, please visit the Helsinki Philharmonic website.
Photo credit: Jiyang Chen