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Casual Friday: Sibelius, Nielsen, & Tarkiainen | Music of the Midnight Sun

Boston Symphony Orchestra

Symphony Hall, Boston, MA

John Storgårds, conductor
Pekka Kuusisto, violin

Outi TARKIAINEN Midnight Sun Variations
NIELSEN Violin Concerto
SIBELIUS Tapiola

Finland and its culture dominate Symphony Hall in this concert. Finnish conductor John Storgårds leads the first in our Music of the Midnight Sun series, an exploration of Nordic storytelling and music. Finnish composer Outi Tarkiainen’s vivid soundscapes prove she is a worthy successor to her compatriot Jean Sibelius; her nuanced and colorful Midnight Sun Variations that transport you to her homeland. Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto debuts with the BSO as the orchestra performs the great Danish composer Carl Nielsen’s 1911 Violin Concerto for the first time. The program closes with three of Sibelius’s tone poems based on Finnish legends, their moods ranging from sweeping power to contemplative mystery.

Music of the Midnight Sun is supported, in part by the American Scandinavian Foundation.

Friday's performance will end around 9:30pm.

John Storgårds conducting intensely.

Performance Details

Mar 1, 2024, 8:00pm EST

Music of the Midnight Sun

February 29–March 9, 2024: This two-week celebration of Nordic composers, conductors, and artists takes you on a journey through the epic storytelling and bracing music of Finland, Denmark, and Norway, transporting you to the land of the midnight sun.

View Series Performances
Ken David Masur leads the BSO and actors including Caleb Mayo in Peer Gynt

Getting Here

A view of the empty Symphony Hall, with the stage in the distance

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