Jukka-Pekka Saraste
Jukka-Pekka Saraste has established himself as one of the outstanding conductors of his generation, demonstrating remarkable musical depth and integrity. Born in Heinola, Finland, he began his career as a violinist before training as a conductor with Jorma Panula at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.

 

 

An artist of exceptional versatility and breadth, Saraste feels a special affinity with the sound and style of late Romantic music. Equally, he maintains a strong connection with the music of our time, such as that of Dutilleux, Lindberg, Salonen and Saariaho, among others. He conducted world premieres of works by Wolfgang Rihm, Friedrich Cerha, Pascal Dusapin and others. Moreover, he is the co-founder of the Avanti! Chamber Orchestra, which has a strong emphasis on contemporary music.

 

 

WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne
WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne is one of the most influential orchestras in the musical landscape of North Rhine Westphalia – thanks to its subscription series at Kölner Philharmonie and Funkhaus Wallrafplatz as well as partnerships with the region’s largest concert halls and festivals. International tours and a growing number of award-winning CD releases confirm its international rank as an outstanding representative of the German orchestra scene. Broadcast by the WDR on radio and television as well as in the digital media, recordings of the orchestra and its illustrious guests are regularly available to the public at large. With a wide range of projects in musical education, the WDR Symphony Orchestra also makes a major contribution to cultural literacy.

 

Program
Beethoven: Symphony No.7 in A major, Op. 92

 

- Intermission-

 

Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 43