Join the Romantic Rebellion – KSO’s autumn season 2023 is planned by new Chief Conductor Eugene Tzigane

Published 18.05.2023

Season Series Tickets and Jaakko Kuusisto ticket package available until 7th of September

Autumn 2023 will mark a positive milestone in the history of the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra. Eugene Tzigane will begin his term as the Chief Conductor, in addition to which a new Administrative Director, Jari Eskola has been appointed for the orchestra and the Music Centre. The KSO’s autumn season 2023 is the first season planned by the Chief Conductor Tzigane. There will be international stars to take the conductor podium and we will hear string players, wind players and a pianist as soloists. At the beginning of the season, we will return to the time shared by the KSO with the late Jaakko Kuusisto. All the season concerts in September will feature Jaakko’s evocative works – a symphony, a violin concerto, and film music. All the autumn season concerts will begin at 6 pm. The Season Series Tickets as well as Jaakko Kuusisto ticket packages are available until the 7th of September.

“The Japanese Zen Buddhists have a philosophy called Wabi-sabi, which sees the beauty in imperfection and reminds us of the transitory nature of all things. In music, our emotions and feelings are the necessary imperfections that touch the hearts of others”, Eugene Tzigane tells. “In addition to familiar music we are delighted to also be introducing you to a number of little-known gems of the past as well as some fascinating contemporary music.”

The Season Series begins with Call of the Sea concert conducted by Eugene Tzigane on the 7th of September, when the KSO performs with the Joensuu Symphony Orchestra. We will hear two dramatic tone-paintings of the deep sea: Jean Sibelius’ Oceanides and Claude Debussy’s La Mer. Throughout September, the orchestra will present a number of the late Jaakko Kuusisto’s works beginning with the Savo premiere of his Symphony Op. 39.

At the concert Through the Looking Glass on the 14th of September we will hear an unfairly neglected gem, Elfrida Andrée’s Varför och därför that has waited for a world premiere 136 years. The main course is also the highly underrated Alexander Zemlinsky’s 2nd Symphony. Beloved Elina Vähälä returns for Jaakko Kuusisto’s thrillingly cinematic Violin Concerto as the second part of our tribute to the former music director.

On the 28th of September at A Tale of Starlight concert the KSO’s very own Jonathan Roskilly will stun and awe the audience with the Finnish Premiere of British composer Dani Howard’s Trombone Concerto, which has already been called an instant classic of our time. The concert begins with the third part of the tribute to Jaakko Kuusisto with his Suite from the film Täällä Pohjantähden alla (Here Beneath the North Star). The conductor of the concert, Ruut Kiiski has completed the program with the rarity, Elfrida Andrée 2nd Symphony.

The Firebird concert of folk tales on the 12th of October tells a story of Igor Stravinsky’s ballet Firebird, where the young Prince Ivan battles for the hand of a beautiful princess, who is imprisoned in the magical garden. Also Sergei Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante might feel like a tale, where the cello soloist musically embarks on quests through mysterious lands and fights mythic creatures. The concert is conducted by Eugene Tzigane.

At the concert Path of Diamonds on the 26th of October the world-renowed Raschér Saxophone Quartet will perform a concerto for four saxophones from the American minimalist Philip Glass commissioned by the quartet. The concert will be conducted by Karen Kamensek, who received the Grammy Award for her dazzling interpretations of Glass. The mood will be set by Camille Pepin’s Vajrayana (Diamond Path). We will also enjoy Schumann’s second symphony, which contains references to other diamonds in the history of music, Bach and Beethoven.

After a long waiting, on the 9th of November the soloist of the KSO will be Kari Kriikku, who has performed many of the contemporary Finnish works for clarinet. At Kriikku & Puro concert we will hear Jukka Tiensuu’s clarinet concerto Puro. Ukrainian-Canadian composer Larysa Kuzmenko’s Fantasy on a Theme by Beethoven is inspired by the composer’s first symphony, whereas Franz Schmidt’s 3rd symphony was composed in answer to a competition for a symphony ”in the spirit of Schubert”.  The orchestra is conducted by Daniel Raiskin.

Lately, ‘play-conduct’ concerts have been at the heart of the German violinist and conductor Kolja Blacher’s activities. Also on the 23rd of November at Chameleon of the Violin concert, he will lead the orchestra while he plays. Max Bruch’s 1st violin concerto with its sweet melancholic tensions has been dubbed as the world’s most popular violin concerto. The concert will begin with the Israeli composer Noam Sheriff’s piece Prayers for strings from 1983. Robert Schumann’s 3rd symphony is like a praise to the river Rhine that connects the countries of Europe.

On the 7th of December, in the celebration of Finnish Independence, the KSO will present three Finnish Maestri of the 20th Century. The pianist Mirka Viitala plays Einar Englund’s magnificent 1st Piano Concerto from 1955. The concert begins with the 1st symphony of Leevi Madetoja, a student and life-long admirer of Sibelius. The last work is by Helvi Leiviskä, a student of Madetoja before WWII. Her 1st symphony from 1947 is an opulent, late-Romantic work with many Modernist touches and daring sonorities. The orchestra is conducted by Eugene Tzigane.

The Season Series Tickets including 8 Season Concerts of the autumn season 2023 and the Jaakko Kuusisto Ticket Package are available until 7th of September.

The Jaakko Kuusisto Ticket Package includes the following concerts:
7.9. Call of the Sea
14.9. Through the Looking Glass
28.9. A Tale of Starlight

Prices of the Season Series Tickets: 220 € / 179 € senior citizens.

Price of the Jaakko Kuusisto Ticket Package: 85 € / 70 € senior citizens. BONUS: Buy 3, enjoy 4! When your purchase the 3 concert package you get a free ticket to an optional 4th Season Concert. The Bonus Ticket can be collected only at the Kuopio Music Centre Ticket Sales. Optional Bonus Concert dates: 12.10. / 26.10. / 9.11. / 23.11. / 7.12.

Season Series Tickets and the Jaakko Kuusisto Ticket Packages are available at the following Ticket outlets: Kuopio Music Centre Mon-Fri from 3 pm until 5 pm or until the start of the perfomance, on weekends 1 hour before the performance. Sokos Kiosk at the Sokos Kuopio Department Store during Department Store opening hours. Lippupiste Ticket outlets around the country and Lippupiste Online Store.

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