Iceland Symphony Orchestra

PROGRAM

Benjamin Britten Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes

Benjamin Britten Violin Concerto

Kaija Saariaho Lumière et Pesanteur

Jean Sibelius Symphony no 3
CONDUCTOR

Tabita Berglund
SOLOIST

Ava Bahari

The Swedish Ava Bahari performs Benjamin Britten's Violin Concerto, an evergreen masterpiece filled with emotional drama and playful musicality. Bahari is one of the leading young violinists in the Nordic countries. She made her first appearance with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra at just 8 years old, and has now returned there as Artist in Residence. She has won numerous awards for her violin playing. In the coming season, she appears as a soloist with orchestras such as the London Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra and BBC National Orchestra of Wales – as well as graduating this spring from the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin.

The concert begins with another work by Britten, Four Sea Interludes, originally played between scenes in Britten's opera, Peter Grimes, from 1945. These interludes lead the audience through space and time in the opera's storyline, reflecting the emotional turmoil of the protagonist.

Lumière et Pesanteur by Kaija Saariaho is a profound and spiritually resonant work that embodies a strong religious connection. Saariaho was one of the most renowned contemporary composers in Finland until her passing in 2023. The final piece on the program is the magnificent Symphony no 3 by Sibelius, which envelops the audience with its rich and delicate approach to the symphonic form. Tabita Berglund, one of the leading young conductors in Europe, conducts the concert.