Stephanie Childress conducts Sibelius, Mendelssohn, and Kaija Saariaho — With Alina Ibragimova

Sibelius and Mendelssohn provide the soundtrack for this unique concert with a distinctly Northern European flavor, live from London’s LSO St Luke’s. The evening begins with Jean Sibelius's En Saga, a symphonic poem that, like its composer, has become a defining figure of Finnish national musical identity. On the other side of the Baltic, it took Mendelssohn six years to complete his famed Violin Concerto—and it was well worth the wait, as violin virtuoso Alina Ibragimova's powerhouse rendition will demonstrate! The concert ends in style with two short works from Finland: Lumière et pesanteur by the fabulous Kaija Saariaho—once ranked the world's greatest composer by BBC Music Magazine—and another work by the endlessly inventive Sibelius, the spirited and episodic Cassazione.

Photo: Stephanie Childress © Tom Porteus