February’s season concerts open with an intriguing debut, as Finnish conductor Elisar Riddelin takes the stage with Oulu Sinfonia. The Calm and Storm concert on Thursday 6 February, conducted by the composer-conductor Riddelin, features two rare gems: Joseph Boulogne’s overture to the opera L’Amant Anonyme (The Anonymous Lover) and the Finnish premiere of Ruth Gipps’ Oboe Concerto.
Caribbean-born, Parisian composer Boulogne was a contemporary of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and a celebrated violinist. Meanwhile, English composer Ruth Gipps (1921–1999) became familiar to Oulu audiences last November when Rumon Gamba conducted her national-romantic tone poem Cringlemire Gardens. The pastoral Oboe Concerto (1941) will be performed by Takuya Takashima, principal oboist of the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra. The concert concludes with Johannes Brahms’ grand First Symphony from 1876.
The Music of Divas tour, starring Diandra, who rose to fame in the 2012 Idols competition, arrives in Oulu. On Wednesday 12 February and Thursday 13 February, audiences will enjoy a full evening of iconic diva hits, arranged for symphony orchestra, featuring music by Whitney Houston, Cher, and Tina Turner. Antti Rissanen conducts these sold-out concerts, but tickets may still be available via Ticketmaster’s resale function.
On Thursday 27 February, the orchestra returns to its classical roots under Chief Conductor Rumon Gamba. The French Delicacies concert showcases French elegance, ranging from Erik Satie’s Gymnopédies to Claude Debussy’s La Mer. Oulu Sinfonia’s concertmaster Mikko Sorri will perform as soloist, presenting Ernest Chausson’s Poème alongside the world premiere of Juha Pisto’s Poème for Violin and Orchestra, written especially for Sorri.
The Oulu Music Festival takes over the city in March, with Oulu Sinfonia participating in two productions. In the festival’s 35th Anniversary Concert on Friday 14 March, audiences can hear Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major and Leevi Madetoja’s symphonic poem Kullervo.
On Thursday 20 March and Friday 21 March, video game classics take over Madetoja Hall in the SCORE concerts, as conductor Eero Lehtimäki leads the orchestra into the musical worlds of Super Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog, and more. The concerts are hosted by Orvar Säfström, with soprano Sabina Zweiacker as soloist. Musicians from Oulu Sinfonia also feature in the chamber opera Ihminen parhaan kykynsä mukaan, premiering on 20 March at Oulu Theatre, starring opera singer Waltteri Torikka and actor Pihla Penttinen, conducted by Marko Hilpo.
Oulu Sinfonia’s season concerts continue with the Serenade for Two concert on Thursday 27 March with an internationally acclaimed guest soloist. Renowned British tenor Allan Clayton, celebrated for performances at London’s Covent Garden and New York’s Metropolitan Opera, makes his Oulu debut. Clayton will perform Benjamin Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings alongside Oulu Sinfonia’s principal horn player, the award-winning Lauri Vasala. The rarely performed piece reflects the nocturnal musings of six British poets. The programme also includes Jean Sibelius’ Scaramouche Suite, another seldom-heard gem, and concludes with Ralph Vaughan Williams’ serene Symphony No. 5, composed as a response to the chaos of World War II.
Audiences are invited to join the familiar Head start pre-concert talk before every season concert at Restaurant Preludi at 6 pm.
In February, Oulu Sinfonia Chamber Musicians’ chamber series features pianist Hannu Alasaarela, who recently performed as a soloist with the orchestra. The Forward and Backward concerts will take place at Tulindberg Hall in the Oulu Music Centre on Saturday 1 February at 3 pm, and at Heikki Sarvela Hall in Liminka on Sunday 2 February at 3 pm. The chamber programme features Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Trio in G Major for piano, flute, and bassoon, and Ernő Dohnányi’s Sextet for piano, clarinet, horn, and string trio, illustrating how the past influences the present and shapes the future. Free admission.
Text: Oulu Sinfonia
Photo: Takuya Takashima