Concerts

Mozart!

Thu 9.1. at 18 Paviljonki

Tomas Djupsjöbacka, conductor
Christoffer Sundqvist, clarinet

W. A. Mozart: Overture to the opera Don Giovanni
W. A. Mozart: Concerto for Clarinet
W. A. Mozart: Symphony No. 41, Jupiter

The opening concert of Jyväskylä Sinfonia's spring season is a celebration of W. A. Mozart's music! The evening begins with the overture to the opera Don Giovanni, which was last heard in Jyväskylä seven years ago. The solo piece of the evening is one of Mozart's final works, the Clarinet Concerto, performed by Christoffer Sundqvist, the principal clarinetist of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. The evening concludes with Mozart's Symphony No. 41, Jupiter.

Contrary to previous information, conductor Olli Mustonen and flutist Janne Thomsen have had to cancel their performances at the opening concert. The Storyteller concert will be rescheduled for a later date to be announced. We apologize for the change.


34 € │ 31 € │ 15 € 

Morkūnas & Melemed

Thu 23.1. at 18 Paviljonki

Adomas Morkūnas-Budrys, conductor
Mackenzie Melemed, piano

Sergei Prokofiev: Overture on Hebrew Themes
Mieczysław Weinberg: Symphony No. 2
Robert Schumann: Concerto for Piano 
Sergei Prokofjev: Symphony No. 1  

Robert Schumann's life was filled with difficulties and emotional turmoil, but through music, he was able to express his innermost feelings in a therapeutic form. This is fortunate, as Schumann's music has served as a source of therapy for centuries, offering empowering peer support to those navigating life's challenges. Schumann's piano concerto, born almost by accident, is brilliant yet delicate, virtuosic yet intimate, coherent yet full of fantasy – and that is precisely why it remains a timeless favorite! In the hands of Mackenzie Melemed, who has already captivated audiences in Jyväskylä and across Finland multiple times, Schumann's epic becomes a delightful, comforting, and refreshing journey toward light. 

Adomas Morkūnas, who will complete his conducting diploma with this evening's concert, frames the night with another thought-provoking repertoire: the cosmopolitan Sergei Prokofiev and his unjustly overshadowed colleague Mieczysław Weinberg had to navigate the ambiguous concept of freedom of expression in the Soviet Union. Is it ultimately more liberating when internal or external boundaries fall – what do you say, Morkūnas and Melemed?

34 € │ 31 € │ 15 € 

Chamber Concert: The Sparkle of Chamber Music

Thu 30.1. at 18 Hannikaissali

Kaisa Ivars and Eeva Oksala, violin
Annika Valkeajoki, cello
Sirpa Berg, English horn
Tapio Paavilainen, trumpet
Eliisa Suni, piano

Antonín Dvořák: Five Bagatelles
Jörg Duda: Dreamdance No. 1
Bohuslav Martinů: Duo for Violin and Cello
Eric Ewazen: Trio for Trumpet, Violin and Piano

We all know string quartets, piano trios, and other established chamber music ensembles, which continue to offer new opportunities for composers and musicians, generation after generation.

But what if we change things up and put together some less common ensembles, featuring instruments that are rarer in salons? How about the English horn, the soulful older sibling of the oboe, and the ever-majestic trumpet? And in addition, what about contemporary composers, the German Jörg Duda and the American Eric Ewazen, who know these instruments well?

Let’s even rearrange traditional instrument ensembles, and two Czech masters will come to the rescue: Dvořák’s bagatelles, composed in just a few days, explore the possibilities of two violins and cello with piano accompaniment, while Martinů leaves the violin and cello to face each other, eye to eye. So, what’s the result now?

The virtuoso musicians of Jyväskylä Sinfonia, together with JAMK teachers, will create a true chamber carnival: everything is upside down and even a bit wobbly. Welcome aboard!

20 € │ 18 € │ 11,50 €

Spotlight on Oboe 

Thu 13.2. at 18 Paviljonki

Gordon Hunt, conductor
Inoko Isobe, oboe

Franz Schubert: Overture in the Italian Style
Richard Strauss: Concerto for Oboe
Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 3

April 1945, the final days of World War II: American troops begin to advance into the Bavarian town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and over 80-year-old Richard Strauss steps onto the terrace of his house, shouting to the approaching soldiers who he is. A soldier, who is an oboist in civilian life, recognizes Strauss – the living legend who revolutionized opera and the symphonic poem – and shouts to his comrades that this house is to be left untouched. 

Once the situation calmed down, this same oboist gathered the courage to visit Strauss a couple of days later. Inspired by this unique encounter, Strauss, in the late phase of his creative period, soon composed a peace-filled and classically charming oboe concerto, which has become the uncrowned king of its rare genre and a test for oboists – now including Jyväskylä Symphony's own Inoko Isobe, whose sunny sincerity in performing the concerto clears the clouds and brings the meadows to bloom. 

Conductor Gordon Hunt, himself originally an oboist, continues to uplift spirits with the true classicism of Schubert. In the midst of winter, take some vitamin D – or come to this concert!

34 € │ 31 € │ 15 € 

Valentine Ball 

Fri 14.2. at 18 main hall at Valtiontalo

Jyväskylä Sinfonia 10-member ensemble
Mimmi Salo & Jaakko Kulmala, dance-host-duo

Do you still remember the dances at Valtiontalo from decades past? The doors of the magnificent creation by Alvar Aalto, the Valtiontalo, finally open to the public for a Valentine’s Day ball. Built between 1926 and 1929, the Valtiontalo has been restored to its former glory, and the grand hall offers a splendid setting for an old-fashioned ball. 

The ten-member salon orchestra of the Jyväskylä Symphony will play waltzes, tangos, and foxtrots throughout the evening, with savory and sweet treats created by Art Catering served between dance sets. The evening will be hosted by the dancing couple Mimmi Salo and Jaakko Kulmala, who might even showcase their own dance moves! 

It’s time to wear your finest dress, maybe even style your hair in a bun! Welcome to dance, celebrate friendship, and enjoy the stunning surroundings!

The ticket includes both the ball and the food served during the evening.

59,50 €

Jyväskylä Sinfonia & Rajaton: Queen 

Wed 19.2. at 18 Paviljonki
Thu 20.2. at 18 Paviljonki

Eero Lehtimäki, conductor
Vocal ensemble Rajaton

Last year's sold-out ABBA concerts with the vocal ensemble Rajaton continue with an evening dedicated to the legendary music of Queen. The rock classics of Queen will be performed in arrangements by Jaakko Kuusisto at the Encore Hall on two evenings. The program will include hits such as We Will Rock You, The Show Must Go On, and We Are The Champions – not to mention Bohemian Rhapsody and numerous other classic hits.

The vocal ensemble Rajaton consists of sopranos Essi Wuorela and Aili Ikonen, alto Soila Sariola, tenor Antti Annola, baritone Ahti Paunu, and bass Jussi Chydenius. The members' musical backgrounds range from classical music to folk, schlager, and rock. This wide range of influences forms the basis for Rajaton’s diverse sound. Rajaton has released a total of sixteen albums, earning one double platinum, two platinum, and eight gold records in Finland. 

The concerts will be conducted by Eero Lehtimäki, who also led last spring’s ABBA evenings.

49,50 € │ 39,50 € │ 29,50 € 

Juhani Heinonen Violin Competition Final 

Thu 6.3. at 18 Paviljonki 

Lorenzo Passerini, conductor
Finalists in the 16–24 age category

The orchestral final of the 16–24 age category, performed with the Jyväskylä Symphony, will culminate the 17th Juhani Heinonen Violin Competition. Since 1977, this competition has been held in Jyväskylä, financially supported by donations from Councillor Juhani Heinonen, CEO of Are Oy and an avid violin enthusiast. He directed the acknowledgments from his 50th and 60th birthdays, among others, to support the competition. In 2025, it will be 100 years since Juhani Heinonen’s birth.

The preliminary rounds will begin on Friday, February 28, at the Hannikaissali of the Finnish Music Campus, where the events for the 10–12 and 13–15 age categories will also take place.

Jury: Jaana Haanterä (Chair), Liisi Nuora-Kapanen, Erkki Palola, Tuomas Rousi, and Tuomas Ylinen.

The most significant partners of the Central Finland Music Promotion Foundation in organizing the competition are the educational institutions of the Music Campus, the city of Jyväskylä, and Jyväskylä Sinfonia.

34 € │ 31 € │ 15 € 

Two Cities, Two Symphonies

Thu 13.3. at 18 Paviljonki
Fri 14.3. at 19 Laurentius hall, Lohja
Sat 15.3. at 19 Temppeliaukio Church, Helsinki

Lorenzo Passerini, conductor
Jyväskylä Sinfonia & Lohja City Orchestra

Erkki Melartin: Symphony No. 6 
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 1

Earth, water, air, fire – the four fundamental elements of life and the world. These were embraced by Erkki Melartin in his Sixth Symphony: the prodigy of Finnish music, symphonist, pedagogue, philosopher, and cosmopolitan who has remained in the shadow of Sibelius to an almost outrageous extent – largely because he built his music in his own unreservedly open manner. Now, as we celebrate 150 years since Melartin’s birth, it is time to revive the symphony he considered his most significant, journeying from the heavy soils of the earth through the revitalizing waters and breathtaking airs to the cleansing blaze of fire! 

In this celebration, the orchestral forces of Jyväskylä and Lohja join together for the first time to offer another symphonic journey from struggle to triumph: Brahms’ First Symphony, which took over 20 years of forging and grapples with titanic giants, where ultimate victory is rare and profoundly fulfilling. Chief conductor Lorenzo Passerini weaves together two cities and two symphonies into an uplifting experience."

Jyväskylä and Helsinki: 34 € │ 31 € │ 15 € 
Lohja: 31 € │ 27 € │ 22 € 

Jyväskylä Sinfonia & Erja Lyytinen

Sat 29.3. at 18 Paviljonki

Antti Rissanen, conductor
Erja Lyytinen, singer & electric guitar

Erja Lyytinen is known as one of the world’s best blues guitarists, bringing her electric energy and incredible stage charisma wherever she performs. Lyytinen’s masterful guitar skills and captivating voice have enchanted audiences worldwide with an innovative blend of traditional blues and progressive soundscapes. 

Antti Rissanen, a member of the elite of Finnish entertainment conductors and fascinating symphony orchestra arrangers – a familiar face to the Jyväskylä audience – has crafted new versions of Lyytinen’s powerful compositions, riffs, and songs, elevating them to new heights.

39,50 € │ 29,50 € │ 19,50 € 

Okko & Sibelius

Thu 10.4. at 18 Paviljonki

Okko Kamu, conductor
Virpi Räisänen, mezzosoprano

Richard Strauss: Serenade
Outi Tarkiainen: Eanan, giđa nieida (The Earth, Spring’s Daughter)
Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 2

When young Okko Kamu won the Herbert von Karajan conducting competition at the end of the 1960s, he had the opportunity to record Sibelius’s Second Symphony with the Berlin Philharmonic – that flagship of Finnish identity, which unintentionally rode the wave of patriotic fervor. The symphony struck a deep chord with a nation struggling under oppression and dreaming of independence, even though this was not Sibelius’s intention, and the symphony had its origins far away in Italy. But one way or another, the pages of Finnish performing arts history rustle as Kamu’s vision of this victory symphony, which rides the sunrise, is now heard in Jyväskylä after half a century of refinement.

Kamu begins the concert with Strauss’s youthful and refreshing Serenade, and Finnish identity is further explored through the work of one of our leading young composers, Outi Tarkiainen. Her massive song cycle addresses the history and authentic experiences of the Sámi people, poignantly in Northern Sámi language. Mezzo-soprano Virpi Räisänen brings us face to face with the Arctic nature and the indigenous people living in harmony with it, without any masks.

34 € │ 31 € │ 15 € 

Easter Concert

Wed 16.4. at 18 Taulumäki church

Eveliina Salonen, conductor
Aija Puurtinen, soloist
Kipinät Choir, choirmaster Kaisa Halmemies

Karl Jenkins: Stabat Mater, arr. John Gibbons

Wales's second tiger, Karl Jenkins, has earned his reputation with a musical language that transcends all genre boundaries, touching modern humanity with compositions such as 'Adiemus' and numerous reinterpretations of Christian and other religious texts. A prime example is Stabat Mater, a medieval hymn where death and eternal life meet through the eyes of Mary, watching her son hanging on the cross.

In Jenkins’s version, the Latin poem expands into several other languages – including Jesus’s native Aramaic – and also incorporates textual additions that draw upon, for example, the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh. When Western choir and orchestra are complemented by Middle Eastern instruments and world music harmonies, we are likely brought quite authentically close to the conditions of that moment when the mentioned son hung on the cross.

The versatile musician Eveliina Salonen, the radiant mezzo-soprano NN, and the striking Kipinät choir will deliver a distinctly different and unique Easter experience that will shake up our worldviews into a new shape – literally?

The concert is organized in collaboration with the Jyväskylä Parish.

34 € │ 31 € │ 15 € 

Family Concert

Wed 23.4. at 18 Paviljonki 

Heikki Elo, conductor
Pentti Rasinkangas & Arja Koriseva

Many happy returns, Pentti and Arja, many happy returns!

The grand old man of Finnish children's music, Pentti Rasinkangas, will celebrate his 70th birthday in 2025 and has compiled the brightest gems of his compositional career for his anniversary concert. The other soloist of the concert, the queen of the stage Arja Koriseva, will be turning 60, so an unforgettable celebratory evening for the whole family is in store.

This warm-hearted concert overflows with music that touches listeners of all ages. The program will include, among others, the captivating "Markan possu", the energy-filled "Saamme voimaa auringosta", and the calming "Suo nukahtaa", all in new symphonic arrangements. In addition to Pentti and Arja, the stage will feature conductor Heikki Elo and the choirs of Jyväskylä's music classes.

Suitable for the whole family.
Duration: approximately one hour.

15 € │ S-Bonus group ticket (4 people): 46 €

Behind Everything – Tango

Wed 30.4. at 18 Paviljonki

Timo Hietala, leader
Helena Juntunen, vocals & host
Jori Huhtala, bass
Veli Kujala, accordion
Seppo Kantonen, piano
Anssi Nykänen, drums

Behind it all is the tango – even on the eve of May Day! The combo that captivated the London Proms Festival in 2018 now brings an incredible tango experience for the Jyväskylä audience to enjoy.

Where did the tango originate, and where is it now? During the concert, we will journey from the Latin tango of 19th-century Buenos Aires bars to Astor Piazzolla’s tango nuevo, which he created in the 1950s. The story also covers the Finnish tango tradition from the early 20th century – one deeply rooted in themes of love, sorrow, and nature – and brings with it the latest tango music.

What happens when Toivo Kärki meets Astor Piazzolla? Was Valse triste actually a tango after all? This will be revealed in the much-anticipated May Day concert’s return spectacle!

34 € │ 31 € │ 15 € 

Movie Concert: Tale of a Sleeping Giant

Wed 14.5. at 18 Paviljonki

Mateusz Gwizdałła, conductor
Tuuletar, vocal performance group

Experience the stunning Tunturin tarina (Tale of a Sleeping Giant) film on the big screen, with live symphonic accompaniment!

This nature documentary takes viewers through the wilderness of Lapland, all the way to the Arctic Ocean, where the mountains meet the embrace of the sea. It is a mythical tale that begins billions of years ago, from an era when the Earth’s first mountains were formed. In the film, animals such as the bear, stoat, ptarmigan, and snow owl play prominent roles. The story explores the beliefs and myths associated with each animal, as well as humanity’s relationship with nature and wildlife.

Tunturin tarina completes the cinematic series that began with Metsän tarina (The Story of the Forest) and Järven tarina (The Story of the Lake), films about nature and human nature mythology. At its core, it reflects the timeless relationship between humans and nature.

The concert is suitable for the whole family, starting from approximately 6 years old.

34 € │ 31 € │ 15 €