Nature Murmurs at KSO season concert on 23rd of February

Published 17.02.2023

Niamh McKenna as the flute soloist of Nielsen’s concerto

At the KSO season concert Nature Murmurs on the 23rd of February at 7 pm we will hear mesmerizing pieces, which will also paint sceneries from nature. The concert begins with Richard Wagner’s Forest Murmurs and it continues with Carl Nielsen’s Flute Concerto performed by the principal flute of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Niamh McKenna. The concert organized at the Concert Hall of the Kuopio Music Centre ends with Felix Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony conducted by the Estonian Olari Elts.

The KSO season concert starts with Wagner’s Waldweben from the opera Siegfried. In the libretto Siegfried has come to the forest and the cave of the dragon Fafner, intent on facing down the legendary beast guarding the Ring. At the same time he becomes enchanted by the “forest murmurs”.

Carl Nielsen’s Flute Concerto belongs to the most popular and most widely performed flute concertos of the 20th Century. It contains passages of chamber music character and the soloist plays in dialogue with other instruments of the orchestra. In Kuopio the soloist is the principal flute of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Niamh MacKenna. She has been successful in competitions such as the 2017 International Crusell Flute Competition, where she won the 1st prize.

The concert ends with the Scottish Symphony by Felix Mendelssohn, who was inspired by a visit to Scotland in 1829 to write the symphony and the Fingal’s Cave Overture. Mendelssohn worked on his Scottish sketches in 1831, but completed the work only in 1842. The orchestra is conducted by the Estonian Olari Elts, who works as the Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra. He is also Artistic Advisor of the Kymi Sinfonietta.

The duration of the concert is about 1 hour 30 minutes, including interval.

Tickets: 33 € / 27 € senior citizens and groups min. 20 persons / 11 € children under 16 and students / 4 € Concert Day Discount Ticket for students and youth under 20 years.

KUOPIO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Producer & Publicity Manager Elina Prepula, tel. 044 718 2364, elina.prepula(at)kuopio.fi
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