The latest edition of Sibelius One’s magazine has been released and is being posted out to subscribers. This issue focuses in particular on Sibelius’s relationship with the violin.
Articles included in the magazine are as follows:
‘Many congratulate me on getting to play on a Stainer’ – Sibelius’s Violin Andrew Barnett
The Eleventh International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition Leon Chia
‘Playing to him was so natural that I didn’t really realize that it could have been considered as something very special.’ An Interview with Satu Jalas
‘How could anyone play that and not want to discover more?’ Five violinists discuss Sibelius’s music for their instrument
Burmester, Nováček and Sibelius’s Violin Concerto Timo Virtanen
The Sixth International Jean Sibelius Conference Hilary Finch
The Sixth Sibelius Lecture An extract from the novel ‘The Seven Symphonies: A Finnish Murder Mystery’ by Simon Boswell
Widespread they stand… Peter Frankland discusses ‘Tapiola’
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.
Fenella Humphreys, Sam Armstrong and Anton Kukkonen at Sibelius One’s concert at the Finnish Ambassador’s Residence in London, 10 June 2015Sibelius One Chamber Players and Folke Gräsbeck at ‘Sibelius on Sea’, Brighton Unitarian Church, 2 November 2015Folke Gräsbeck at Sibelius One’s concert in St Martin’s Church, Salisbury, 4 November 2015
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 with an all-Sibelius concert, ‘Sibelius Unwrapped’, November 2015
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):
The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor John Storgårds will be performing an all-Sibelius programme in Birmingham on Thursday 10 December 2015 (7.30 pm) at Symphony Hall, Birmingham.
The programme will consist of the following works: En saga Violin Concerto Karelia Suite Symphony No. 7
The Docklands Sinfonia conducted by Spencer Down will celebrate the 150th annivesary of Sibelius’s birth with a concert at St Anne’s, Limehouse, Three Colt Street, London, featuring the Karelia Suite and Lemminkäinen, on Friday 4th December at 7.30 pm.
The renowned author and illustrator James Mayhew will bring a special touch to the concert with live illustrations of the stories behind the music as the orchestra plays.
Docklands Sinfonia will also continue its strong track record of promoting new music with the world première of Michael Heath’s Cello Concerto, performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Gregory Walmsley.
Programme:
Jean Sibelius: Karelia Suite
Michael Heath: Cello Concerto (world première)
Jean Sibelius: Lemminkäinen Docklands Sinfonia Spencer Down conductor Gregory Walmsley cello James Mayhew illustrator
Illustration by James Mayhew
Docklands Sinfonia is young and pioneering orchestra which has become a major cultural force in the Docklands – bringing high quality music to the area, staging ground-breaking concerts and creating a lasting legacy by inspiring generations of young people. Since its formation in 2009, Docklands Sinfonia has enjoyed incredible success with performances for the Queen at Buckingham Palace and with Grammy-award winner Imogen Heap at the Royal Albert Hall. It has appeared on the BBC Radio 3 and BBC1.
The orchestra has recorded albums for leading artists such as Katie Melua and has performed with world-renowned classical artists such as Alison Balsom, Leonard Elschenbroich and Elin Manahan-Thomas as well as the English National Ballet, Royal Opera House and National Youth Theatre. Docklands Sinfonia aims to promote young musicians through commissioning new works and is committed to inspiring future generations of young people by introducing them to the joy of live orchestral music.
Spencer Down is the driving force behind Docklands Sinfonia. He has been orchestral director for high-profile events including a concert for the Queen in the ballroom at Buckingham Palace and the world premiere of Grammy award-winning singer Imogen Heap’s ‘Love the Earth’ at the Royal Albert Hall. He has worked with artists from leading organizations including the English National Ballet, Royal Opera House, London Symphony Orchestra and Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and is brass co-ordinator and assistant conductor at the Junior Guildhall.
Where and when Friday 4th December at 7.30 pm. St Anne’s, Limehouse, Three Colt Street, London E14 7HP
Tickets: £10 (Concessions) £12 (Advanced) £15 (On the door) – click here to book tickets.
Dima Slobodeniouk has been appointed as principal conductor of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, starting in the autumn of 2016. Slobodeniouk will also be artistic director of the orchestra’s annual Sibelius Festival. The City Board of the Lahti Municipality Association made the appointment at a meeting on 17th August 2015. Slobodeniouk’s contract will run until the spring season of 2019.
Slobodeniouk remarks: ‘When people ask me whether I have always wanted to be a conductor, more and more often my answer is: No, I have not. Despite me, growing up in a family of orchestra musicians, I simply had no idea what it is like to be a conductor. Today, when the fact of me taking over a position of Music Director of Lahti Symphony Orchestra becomes a reality, I once again realise, that being a conductor is what I want and what I live for.’
Slobodeniouk sees the forthcoming collaboration as a wonderful chance to develop musical relationships with the orchestra and audiences both in Lahti and internationally. ‘I was lucky enough to be able to build and maintain a very open and fruitful relationship with Lahti Symphony Orchestra ever since I first conducted them in 2001 replacing Leif Segerstam. Today – this is a big honour and a challenge for me to create something new on the foundation of a great orchestra tradition in Lahti’, says Slobodeniouk. ‘I believe and hope, that with our music making we can influence people’s lives regardless of their age or social background. The unique thing about classical music is the fact that it does not have to be verbalised or explained. That way it can reach and touch anyone.’
Teemu Kirjonen, General Manager of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, says: ‘After the triumphant chief conductorships of Vänskä, Saraste and Kamu, we are looking forward to our time with Slobodeniouk with great enthusiasm. On the basis of what the orchestra has already achieved with him in the past few years, we may expect great things in the future.’ Slobodeniouk already enjoys a major international career and, Kirjonen believes, having him as chief conductor will be an excellent springboard for the further development of the orchestra’s artistic level, and for the continuation of its touring and recording activities.
Petri Komulainen, chairman of the committee representing the players in the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, says that he is very proud and excited at the new appointment, and describes the orchestra as being on the threshold of a new era. ‘Slobodeniouk has close ties to Finland, combined with an international career that is very much on the up. I’m convinced that he will manage to bring a new, energetic perspective to the orchestra’s work, and that his performances will appeal to an ever wider audience.’
Moscow-born Dima Slobodeniouk has made Finland his home for over two decades. A former student at Helsinki’s prestigious Sibelius Academy, he began his conducting studies in 1994 under the tutelage of Leif Segerstam and Jorma Panula. Currently music director of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, he is a regular guest conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic and Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestras as well as London’s Philharmonia Orchestra, the Orchestre de Paris and the Netherlands, RAI Turin and Stuttgart Radio Philharmonic Orchestras. Slobodeniouk collaborates with many of today’s composers, among them Kalevi Aho, Sebastian Fagerlund, Jörg Widmann and Lotta Wennäkoski.
Further information: Teemu Kirjonen / General Manager, Lahti Symphony Orchestra
tel. 00358 3 814 4452
A concert will take place on Sunday 26th July 2015, at 7.30 pm, at the Colour House Theatre at Merton Abbey Mills, Wimbledon, London, featuring a varied collection of Sibelius chamber music rarities in addition to his famous ‘Voces intimae’ string quartet.
The concert forms part of the series ‘Sunday Evening Music Among Friends’, now in its nineteenth year, a monthly series of informal chamber concerts in which both seasoned professionals and gifted young players perform the music they love. The concert lasts about ninety minutes including the interval, when you can enjoy a free drink next door in the historic Wheelhouse. The series is noted for its friendly informal atmosphere as well as the highest standard of performance of a wide range of repertoire.
The programme is as follows: Nielsen: At the Bier of a Young Artist Sibelius: Vattendroppar, JS 216, for violin and cello Sibelius: Moderato – Allegro appassionato in C sharp minor, JS 131, for string quartet Sibelius: Lullaby, JS 222, for violin and kantele Tchaikovsky: Andante cantabile Sibelius: Duo, JS 66, for violin and viola Sibelius: String Quartet in D minor, ‘Voces intimae’, Op. 56
The performers will be Anya Birchall and Rebecca Totterdell (violins), Toby Hawks (viola/kantele) and Kate Leigh (cello).
Tickets cost £14, or £10 for concessions. Sibelius One members will receive the concession price.
There will be an all-Sibelius concert at the Finnish Ambassador’s Residence in London on Wednesday 10th June 2015 at 6.30 pm, given by Fenella Humphreys, violin, Anton Kukkonen, cello, and Sam Armstrong, piano.
The theme of the concert is ‘Sibelius and Family’, and the event takes place on the composer’s 123rd wedding anniversary.
The programme will include works for violin and piano: the Four Pieces, Op. 78 (including the famous F major Romance), E major Sonatina and Four Pieces, Op. 115. Cello pieces will include Malinconia, and all three performers will come together to end the concert with La pompeuse Marche d’Asis. Expect also some intriguing rarities and several UK premières.
The concert is arranged by Sibelius One with the generous support and assistance of the Finnish Embassy in London.
Drinks and canapés will be served.
Tickets cost £12 (concessions and Sibelius One members: £8) and can be ordered from gm@sibeliusone.com
Tickets will be personalized so please include the names and postal address of all those who will attend.
Payment can be made to Sibelius One either
– by internet banking (sort code 54-10-27, account number 13655558)
– by cheque payable to Sibelius One (send to: 6 Chichester Drive West, Saltdean, Brighton BN2 8SH) As payment reference please use your name and the word ‘tickets’.
The address of the Finnish Ambassador’s Residence is 14 Kensington Palace Gardens, London W8 4QP
We are currently preparing a survey that will examine why we respond as we do to the music of Sibelius.
To make our survey as representative as possible we invite all visitors to the Sibelius One website to complete and submit the short response form below, before 30th April 2015.
Answers don’t have to be scholarly or technical – just spontaneous!
The results of the survey will form the basis of an article to be published in the summer, and the best indivudual comments will be included – anonymously if you wish.
In particular we are keen to know how attitudes to Sibelius vary in different countries, so please be sure to tell us which country you live in.
When you have filled in the form, press the ‘Send Now!’ button.
Thank you for your help and we look forward to sharing the results with you!
As a celebration of the 150th anniversaries of Sibelius’s and Nielsen’s birth, the duo Fenella Humphreys (violin) and Nicola Eimer (piano) will be performing at the Purcell Room, QEH, Southbank Centre in London on Wednesday 4th February at 7.45 pm.
In addition to playing works by Sibelius and Nielsen, the duo has commissioned a new short set of British pieces, inspired by and taking the movement titles of Sibelius’s Five Pieces, Op. 81. The composers for these pieces are Cheryl Frances-Hoad, David Knotts, Matthew Taylor, Alasdair Nicolson and Anthony Powers.
Sibelius: Five Pieces, Op. 81
Nielsen: Sonata No. 2, Op. 35
Sibelius: Sonatina, Op. 80
Five Pieces – by Cheryl Frances-Hoad, Alasdair Nicolson, Matthew Taylor, David Knotts and Anthony Powers (world première)
Sibelius: Four Pieces, Op. 115
A recording by Fenella Humphreys and Nicola Eimer of Sibelius’s Sonatina is in preparation, for release later in 2015.
Fenella Humphreys will also be performing Sibelius’s Violin Concerto at concerts in Chatham (28th February), Colchester (21st March) and London (28th & 29th March)
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