wednesday

Founded in 1882 on the initiative of conductor Robert Kajanus, the Helsinki Philharmonic became the first permanent full-sized professional symphony orchestra in Scandinavia. Between 1892 and 1923 the HPO gave the first performances of most of Jean Sibelius's new symphonic compositions, with the composer himself conducting. After Kajanus's more than fifty years at the helm, the HPO has been conducted by Georg Schnéevoigt, Armas Järnefelt, Martti Similä, Tauno Hannikainen, Jorma Panula, Paavo Berglund, Ulf Söderblom, Okko Kamu, and Sergiu Comissiona. From the autumn of 1995, the orchestra's Chief Conductor has been Leif Segerstam. From autumn 2003 onwards John Storgårds will hold Principal Guest Conductor status.

Alongside its regular concert activities (70-80 concerts per year in Finlandia Hall), the HPO is busy with foreign tours, recordings, and joint projects with radio and television. In addition to several concert tours in Central Europe, the HPO has made four tours to USA and four to Japan.

The HPO has recorded all the Sibelius symphonies under Paavo Berglund, and symphonies by Shostakovich and Kancheli with James DePreist. In 1996 Leif Segerstam and the orchestra embarked on a new series of Sibelius recordings on CD for Ondine label, with the Four Lemminkäinen Legends and the Violin Concerto, with Pekka Kuusisto as soloist. In autumn 1997 the Concerto recording was awarded a Gold Disc. The Ondine record company and the Helsinki Philharmonic are continuing their long-standing partnership with a new recording of the complete Sibelius symphonies under the baton of Leif Segerstam 2002-2003.

Recordings of works by Einojuhani Rautavaara - his Seventh Symphony Angel of Light and his Violin Concerto, with Elmar Oliveira as soloist, and Angels and Visitations - have won the Cannes Classical Awards. A 1999 release On the Last Frontier includes Rautavaara´s Anadyomene, Flute Concerto with Patrick Gallois and On the Last Frontier, a work for choir and orchestra commissioned by the HPO. Rautavaara’s 8^th symphony "The Journey" and Harp Concerto, with Marielle Nordmann as soloist, are the latest recordings in the HPO’s Rautavaara cycle conducted by Leif Segerstam.

Fresh CDs with Vladimir Ashkenazy include music by Rautavaara, Taneyev (violin: Pekka Kuusisto) and Rachmaninov (piano: Alexander Ghindin). Olli Mustonen made his debut recording as conductor with the HPO conducting music by Rodion Shchedrin (cello: Marko Ylönen).