TAMMISAARI FESTIVAL 2016

The Finnish Chamber Orchestra remembers Jouni Kaipainen at Tammisaari this year
 
 
 
 
 
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WDR Sinfonieorchester summer touring

The orchestra returns to Salzburg, and the Rheingau and Grafenegg Festivals in the course of the summer 2016.
 
 
 
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MAHLER – COLOGNE PHILHARMONIE, GERMANY

29 & 30 April 2016
WDR Symphony Orchestra, Cologne, Kölner Domchor, Female voices of the WDR Rundfunkchor, Wiebke Lehmkuhl

“Happy the man able to witness this superb evening with the WDR Symphony Orchestra. Under the baton of Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Mahler’s Third gained plenty of drive. The Finnish conductor’s view of the score was defined by structural foresight and multi-dimensional sculpting. Whilst he let the double-basses play in a burrowing way, in the upper registers a certain elegance prevailed; a sense of wide breath. Fierce eruptions were wildly carved out, but never uncontrolled. Under Saraste, Mahler appeared stringent and was performed with virtuosity, with great moments of intensity in the final movement.”

2 May 2016
Matthias Corvin, Kölnische Rundschau

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BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS 2016

Jukka-Pekka celebrates with special concerts at Helsinki Musiikkitalo and Stockholms Konserthus
 
In the press:
Helsingin Sanomat
 
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SAARIAHO/GRIEG/SIBELIUS – DE DOELEN, ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS

2 & 3 April 2016
Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Boris Giltburg

“In the opening movement, the strings produced a rarified transparency that evoked images of icy winds blowing over snowy plains. Saraste conducted like a reserved gentleman: always in control with but a few wild gestures and exuding a collected calm, even during Sibelius’ fiercest moments. He expertly layered the composer’s icy tension. Visibly engrossed by the Rotterdam Philharmonic’s sound, Saraste sustained a fragile suspense in his ceaseless momentum as he continued with the second movement Tempo andante.”
…

“Saraste’s Sibelius swept you off your feet.”

6 April 2016
David Pinedo, Bachtrack.com

Me and my Sibelius

— How did you first get interested in Sibelius?

It was actually the Fourth Symphony that made the biggest impact on me, and I think contact with some interpretations, for example Paavo Berglund, reinforced my interest, and the way he was conducting made me convinced that there’s an incredible truth in the music, which I didn’t discover so early in the other symphonies – with No. 2, for example, it took a long time before I was completely ready for it.

— What was the first work by Sibelius that you ever conducted, and what was the occasion?

It must have been No. 2, when I was in the music camp of Lapua, and had a youth/student/festival orchestra at that music camp.
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DUTILLEUX/RAVEL – COLOGNE PHILHARMONIE, GERMANY

19 & 20 February 2016
WDR Symphony Orchestra, Cologne, WDR Rundfunkchor, Laura Aikin

“A magnificent Ravel with Saraste”

“Ravel’s large-scale piece was a sensational experience, with Jukka-Pekka Saraste on the podium, drawing out the full musical drama from the WDR Symphony Orchestra and the WDR Rundfunkchor. Although this music was originally intended to support a ballet, when played with so much impetus it needs no additional imagery. It all develops in the mind”.

22 February 2016
Johannes Zink, Kölnische Rundschau

32nd International Music Festival of the Canary Islands

Jukka-Pekka peforms at the 32nd International Music Festival of the Canary Islands
 
 
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NIELSEN/SCHUMANN/SIBELIUS – COLOGNE PHILHARMONIE, GERMANY

4 & 5 December 2015
WDR Symphony Orchestra, Cologne, Johannes Wohlmacher

“The audience was electrified by his energy as soon as he stepped on the podium. With impulsive gestures, Jukka-Pekka Saraste raised a storm from the explosive WDR Symphony Orchestra … with their perfect synergy, conductor and orchestra prove themselves to be a highly versatile chameleon.”

7 December 2015
Rainer Nonnenmann, Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger

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