KSO’s concert on October 23rd is a love letter to French music

Published 16.10.2025

French-Polish violinist Eva Zavaro’s first visit to Kuopio with Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto

The Kuopio Symphony Orchestra’s From France With Love season concert on Thursday, October 23rd at 6 pm offers a delightful selection of music from the French Romantic era. Organized at the Kuopio Music Centre Concert Hall, the program features Interlude La nuit et l’amour by Augusta Holmès, rich with deep emotion; Camille Saint-Saëns’ colorful Violin Concerto No. 3; and the joyful music from Léo Delibes’ ballet Coppélia. The soloist is the brilliant violin virtuoso Eva Zavaro, and the orchestra is conducted by Aliisa Neige Barrière, who grew up in France.

The October 23rd concert is a heartfelt tribute to the music of French Romanticism. The works from the 1870s and 1880s already showcase the masterful orchestration that would later characterize the music of the so-called French Impressionists, combined with expressive and charming melodies. Holmès’ La nuit et l’amour takes the audience on an emotional journey. “Performing her music has been a calling for me: it is at least on par with the works of her more famous male contemporaries and deserves wider recognition,” says conductor Aliisa Neige Barrière.

Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto No. 3 encompasses an entire emotional spectrum, from drama to ecstasy. With its rich and colorful orchestration, the piece is a showcase of both technical virtuosity and expressive power for the soloist. “The soloist is my friend from high school, the brilliant French-Polish violinist Eva Zavaro,” Barrière shares. Zavaro is considered one of the most talented French musicians of her generation. She has received numerous accolades and won the International Johannes Brahms Competition in Austria. From a young age, she has performed with major orchestras around the world.

“The evening is crowned by the lively and colorful music from Léo Delibes’ ballet Coppélia, whose joyful and dance-like character is simply infectious!” Barrière enthuses. Aliisa Neige Barrière is among Finland’s most exciting young conductors. She has served as assistant conductor to Esa-Pekka Salonen, Susanna Mälkki, Sakari Oramo, and Dalia Stasevska among others. Barrière was the resident conductor of the Danish Århus Sinfonietta from 2021 to 2023 and the artist-in-residence at the Turku Music Festival in 2024. In Finland, she has conducted several orchestras. In spring 2025, she will debut with the Finnish National Ballet, conducting the ballet La vie en rose, which tells the story of Édith Piaf.

Before the concert, at 5:30 pm at the Kuopio Music Centre Hall of Light, a Pre-Talk event open to everyone is organized.

On the same day, 23rd of October at noon you can enjoy KSO’s open rehearsal, where the orchestra will play excerpts of the evening’s concert programme under the baton of Aliisa Neige Barrière. Admission to the open rehearsal is free. In addition, you can enjoy restaurant Oodi’s buffet lunch in the Hall of Light between 11 am and 2 pm. The price of lunch is 12 euros.

Tickets: 33 € / 27 € senior citizens and groups min. 20 persons / 11 € children under the age of 16 and students / 4 € concert day discount ticket for students and young people under the age of 20 (available for purchase on the concert day at the Kuopio Music Centre Ticket Office). Prices include the Kuopio Music Centre service fee 2 € / ticket. The service fees vary depending on the place of purchase.

The Copilot AI service was used in the production of this text.

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