Monthly Archives: December 2015

Merry Christmas

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A very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all members and friends of Sibelius One!
Here is a selection of memories from the Sibelius 150th anniversary year.

(Click to enlarge photos)

Third International Sibelius Singing Competition

Aarne Pelkonen, winner of the Third International Sibelius Singing Competition (Photo: © Heikki Tuuli)
Aarne Pelkonen, winner of the Third International Sibelius Singing Competition (photo: © Heikki Tuuli)

Sibelius One concerts

Fenella Humphreys, Sam Armstrong and Anton Kukkonen at Sibelius One’s concert at the Finnish Ambassador’s Residence in London, 10 June 2015
Fenella Humphreys, Sam Armstrong and Anton Kukkonen at Sibelius One’s concert at the Finnish Ambassador’s Residence in London, 10 June 2015
Sibelius One Chamber Players and Folke Gräsbeck at ‘Sibelius on Sea’, Brighton Unitarian Church, 2 November 2015
Sibelius One Chamber Players and Folke Gräsbeck at ‘Sibelius on Sea’, Brighton Unitarian Church, 2 November 2015
Folke Gräsbeck at Sibelius One’s concert in St Martin’s Church, Salisbury, 4 November 2015
Folke Gräsbeck at Sibelius One’s concert in St Martin’s Church, Salisbury, 4 November 2015

Sibelius in Korpo

The Flinders Quartet made a guest appearance at the Sibelius i Korpo festival, playing a generous selection of Sibelius’s works
The Flinders Quartet made a guest appearance at the ‘Sibelius in Korpo’ festival, playing a generous selection of Sibelius’s works (photo: © Nicholas Purcell)
Performing at the Sibelius Monument in Korpo (Photo: © Geoff Hayes)
Performing at the Sibelius Monument in Korpo (photo: © Geoff Hayes)

Lahti International Sibelius Festival

Members of Sibelius One at Ainola railway station
Members of Sibelius One at Ainola railway station
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Andrew Barnett addressing the Annual General Meeting of Sibelius One at Ainola (photo: © Leon Chia)
Hilkka Helminen (curator of Ainola) addressing the Annual General Meeting of Sibelius One (photo: Leon Chia)
Hilkka Helminen (curator of Ainola) addressing the Annual General Meeting of Sibelius One (photo: © Leon Chia)
Okko Kamu amd the Lahti Symphony Orchestra (photo: © Juha Tanhua)
Okko Kamu and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra (photo: © Juha Tanhua)
Jukka-Pekka Saraste and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra (photo: © Juha Tanhua)
Jukka-Pekka Saraste and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra (photo: © Juha Tanhua)
Osmo Vänskä and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra (photo: © Juha Tanhua)
Osmo Vänskä and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra (photo: © Juha Tanhua)
Leif Segerstam and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (photo: © Juha Tanhua)
Leif Segerstam and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (photo: © Juha Tanhua)
Soloists Johanna Rusanen and Waltteri Torikka with Sakari Oramo and the BBC Symphony Orchestra (photo: © Juha Tanhua)
Soloists Johanna Rusanen and Waltteri Torikka with Sakari Oramo and the BBC Symphony Orchestra (photo: © Juha Tanhua)
John Davis, president of Sibelius One, with Folke Gräsbeck (Photo: © Leon Chia)
John Davis, president of Sibelius One, with Folke Gräsbeck (photo: © Leon Chia)
Reception arranged by Lauri Tarasti (standing) and the Sibelius Society of Finland, at the Sibelius Hall (Photo: © Leon Chia)
Reception arranged by Lauri Tarasti (standing) and the Sibelius Society of Finland, at the Sibelius Hall (photo: © Leon Chia)

11th International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition

Christel Lee, winner of the 11th International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition (Photo: © Heikki Tuuli)
Christel Lee, winner of the 11th International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition (photo: © Heikki Tuuli)
Christel Lee, after a performance of Sibelius’s Violin Concerto with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra nad Hannu Lintu at Verkatehdas in Hämeenlinna, 8 December 2015 (Photo: © Leon Chia)
Christel Lee, after a performance of Sibelius’s Violin Concerto with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra nad Hannu Lintu at Verkatehdas in Hämeenlinna, 8 December 2015 (photo: © Leon Chia)
During the Violin Competition, representatives of the world’s Sibelius Societies met in Helsinki. Sibelius One was represented by Leon Chia (front left)
During the Violin Competition, representatives of the world’s Sibelius Societies met in Helsinki. Sibelius One was represented by Leon Chia (front left)

6th International Jean Sibelius Conference

Hämeenlinna’s VErkatehdas hosted the Sixth International Jean Sibelius Conference in December
Hämeenlinna’s Verkatehdas hosted the Sixth International Jean Sibelius Conference in December
Ron Weidberg and James Hepokoski addressing the Sibelius Conference (photo: © Leon Chia)
Ron Weidberg and James Hepokoski addressing the Sibelius Conference (photo: © Leon Chia)
During the Conference, on 8 December, a special ceremony was held at the Sibelius statue in his birth town, Hämeenlinna
During the Conference, on 8 December, a special ceremony was held at the Sibelius statue in his birth town, Hämeenlinna

New books about Sibelius and his world

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Sib+world+of+art+book-www

ainola-book

And much more…

Aeon Duo at the Finnish Church in London
Aeon Duo at the Finnish Church in London, March 2015: ‘A Window to the Finnish Mind’
Southampton’s new orchestra són (cond. Robin Browning) is inaugurated all-Sibelius concert, ‘Sibelius Unwrapped’, November 2015
Southampton’s new orchestra són (cond. Robin Browning) is inaugurated with an all-Sibelius concert, ‘Sibelius Unwrapped’, November 2015

Sibelius Medal awarded to Pekka Helasvuo

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Pekka Helasvuo holding the Sibelius Medal (photo: © Sibelius One)
Pekka Helasvuo holding the Sibelius Medal (photo: © Sibelius One)

The Sibelius Medal of the Sibelius Society of Finland has been awarded to Pekka Helasvuo.

The medal was presented by Lauri Tarasti, outgoing president of the Sibelius Society of Finland, at a reception in Hämeenlinna Town Hall on Saturday 5th December 2015 as part of the Sixth International Jean Sibelius Conference.

Pekka Helasvuo, Licentiate of Music, has worked as a violinist in the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor and principal lecturer of orchestral and chamber music studies at the Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. His subject of licentiate work was the Orchestration of the Songs by Jean Sibelius (Sibelius-Academy, Helsinki 2007). Helasvuo is currently working as an editor of the string orchestra works (Series III) for the critical edition of Jean Sibelius works (JSW).

This was the last presentation of the Sibelius Medal in its current form. A new design of medal will be used from 2016 onwards.

Happy Birthday Sibelius

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Photo by courtesy of sibelius150.org
Photo by courtesy of sibelius150.org

Sibelius One joins Sibelius fans, scholars and musicians all over the world in celebrating the 150th anniversary of Sibelius’s birth today, 8th December 2015.

Watch the exclusive Happy Birthday Sibelius video produced by Leon Chia, Sibelius One’s International Co-ordinator, here (live at 00.01 Finnish time, 8-Dec-2015):

Sibelius’s birthplace in Hämeenlinna (Photo: © Balcer/Wikipedia Commons)
Sibelius’s birthplace in Hämeenlinna (Photo: © Balcer/Wikipedia Commons)
The room in which Sibelius was born, 8 Dec 1865. Photo: © Kehittämiskeskus Oy Häme/Jorma Jämsén
The room in which Sibelius was born, 8 Dec 1865. (Photo: © Kehittämiskeskus Oy Häme/Jorma Jämsén)

Christel Lee wins Sibelius Violin Competition

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Christel Lee (Photo: © Heikki Tuuli)
Christel Lee (Photo: © Heikki Tuuli)

Christel Lee has won the 11th  International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition in Helsinki. The prize winners are:

1st prize €25 000  Christel Lee, USA
2nd prize €18 000  Emmanuel Tjeknavorian, Austria
3rd prize €12 000  Friederike Starkloff, Germany

Three other finalists, Mayumi Kanagawa (USA), Minami Yoshida (Japan) and Nancy Zhou (USA), received a prize of € 2000 each.

The Foundation of Helsinki Conservatory of Music awarded a special prize of €3000 to Emmanuel Tjeknavorian for the best interpretation of Sibelius Violin Concerto

The City of Järvenpää awarded a special prize of €2000  to Friederike Starkloff for the best interpretation of a commissioned piece in second round. The commissioned piece was one of the award-winning pieces from the Jean Sibelius Composition Competition 2015.

The best Finnish contestant Pekko Pulakka received the special prize from Yleisradio: an invitation to make a recording for Yle.

Christel Lee will perform at the following concerts in December:

  • with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, conductor Hannu Lintu, at the Jean Sibelius 150th Anniversary Concert in Hämeenlinna on 8th December.
  • with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor John Storgårds, on 10th December in Birmingham and 12th December in Dublin.

Source: www.sibeliuscompetition.fi