HK Phil Celebrates Finnish Artistry in Spring Programmes

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra will present two programmes this spring, showcasing two generations of Finnish artistry. HK Phil's Music Director Designate Tarmo Peltokoski leads a performance of Esa-Pekka Salonen's Violin Concerto and Shostakovich's Symphony no. 11 in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, while HK Phil's Composer-in-Residence Esa-Pekka Salonen himself takes the podium to conduct a programme featuring his own Horn Concerto and Sibelius's Symphony no. 5. Tickets are now available at URBTIX.

Tarmo Peltokoski Conducts Shostakovich 11

24 & 26 April, Hong Kong & Guangzhou

Finnish composer-conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen describes his Violin Concerto, premiered in 2009, as “a kind of summary of my experiences as a musician and a human being at the watershed age of 50.” Specially written for renowned violinist Leila Josefowicz, the work returns to the stage with its original soloist – whom Salonen praised as someone who “knows no limits, she knows no fear.” Conducted by his protégé Tarmo Peltokoski, the programme concludes with Shostakovich's Symphony no. 11. Subtitled “The Year 1905”, the symphony is a stark and unflinching portrayal of war.

Following the Hong Kong performance, Peltokoski will make his debut in the Chinese Mainland, leading the HK Phil to present the same programme on 26 April 2026 (Sun) at 4PM at the Xinghai Concert Hall Symphony Hall in Guangzhou. Tickets are priced at RMB¥880, ¥680, ¥480, ¥280 and ¥180. 

Swire Maestro Series: Esa-Pekka Salonen Conducts Sibelius 5

1 & 2 May

Esa-Pekka Salonen leads a programme that places the horn in the spotlight. Opening the programme is Richard Strauss' Don Juan, followed by the Asia premiere of Salonen's Horn Concerto, co-commissioned by the HK Phil. Acclaimed for “a sound that blends power with lyrical beauty” (The Guardian), Stefan Dohr, Principal Horn of the Berlin Philharmonic, takes on the solo part. Salonen has said the horn was his first love in the world of music, and the concerto explores the instrument's full expressive and technical range. The programme culminates in Sibelius's Symphony no. 5, whose final movement features the iconic horn theme inspired by sixteen swans in flight.