Chief Conductor Rumon Gamba leads Ottorino Respighi’s Roman Trilogy, and Luka Coetzee, winner of the VII International Paulo Cello Competition, performs Edward Elgar’s wistful cello concerto.
November begins with an orchestral cinematic experience: Stormskerry Maja (2024), directed and written by Tiina Lymi. Based on Anni Blomqvist’s Stormskerry series, the film tells the poignant story of a strong woman and the challenges she faces on a stormy island at the end of the 19th century. Lauri Porra’s powerful score runs throughout the film, complemented by Lasse Mårtenson’s iconic theme from the 1976 television series Myrskyluodon Maija. The screen at Madetoja Hall comes alive as Oulu Sinfonia performs the music live, conducted by Jukka Iisakkila. Both film concerts on Thursday and Friday, 7–8 November, have sold out, but Ticketmaster’s resale feature offers the possibility to sell or buy returned tickets.
On Thursday, 14 November, Oulu Sinfonia and Chief Conductor Rumon Gamba invite the audience on a nostalgic journey. The concert Lost in Nostalgia first transports us to the British Isles, to Cringlemire Gardens, whose lush landscapes composer Ruth Gipps (1921–1999) depicted in a style filled with national romanticism.
Luka Coetzee, the 2023 winner of the International Paulo Cello Competition, will perform as the soloist in Edward Elgar’s cello concerto. Written shortly after the First World War, the concerto is seen as Elgar’s farewell not only to a devastated Europe but also to the musical style in which he had grown up. The melancholy undertone of the work was further deepened by Elgar’s own health concerns. “I am lonelier and more at the mercy of circumstances than ever before,” he said. “All that is good and kind, and clean and fresh, and sweet is gone, and won’t return.”
The concert concludes with Johannes Brahms’ Symphony No. 2, regarded as the composer’s most optimistic and beautiful work. While the D major symphony is certainly Brahms’ brightest and lightest music, hints of doubt still shimmer beneath the surface in the brass and timpani. “I admit that I am very melancholy, and that black wings flutter constantly above me,” Brahms wrote.
November’s season concerts conclude on 28 November with From Rome with Love, featuring Ottorino Respighi’s Roman Trilogy under Rumon Gamba’s baton. One of the most important Italian composers of the turn of the century, Respighi (1879–1936) infused the operatic traditions of Italy with symphonic national romanticism. After settling in Rome, he drew inspiration from the city’s unique architecture. His masterpieces are three symphonic poems: Fountains of Rome (1916), Pines of Rome (1924), and Roman Festivals (1928). The trilogy is considered one of the most colourful orchestral works in history, with rhythms and melodies that vividly portray Rome’s ancient landmarks, boulevards, and way of life.
Oulu Sinfonia Chamber Musicians will perform the Crossing Borders chamber concert on Wednesday, 27 November at 19:00 in the Tulindberg Hall of Oulu Music Centre. The concert blends elements of classical, jazz, and folk music, featuring strings, trombone, and percussion. Before the concert, at 18:00, Chief Conductor Rumon Gamba will present the upcoming spring season’s programme in an open event, Spring Season 2025 Through the Eyes of the Chief Conductor, held in Restaurant Preludi.