A complete symphony cycle is the theme of the Lahti Sibelius Festival in its 25th anniversary year

Guest performers include the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and soprano Golda Schultz

The Lahti Symphony Orchestra’s 25th International Sibelius Festival will take place at the Sibelius Hall in Lahti from 29 to 31 August 2024, crowning the four-year term as the festival’s artistic director of Dalia Stasevska, the Lahti Symphony Orchestra’s principal conductor. The festival will feature all seven of Sibelius’s symphonies and Luonnotar under her baton.

The Lahti Symphony Orchestra will open the festival on Thursday 29 August with Symphonies Nos 1 and 2, while the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra’s guest concert on Friday 30 August will include Symphonies Nos 3 and 5 and Luonnotar, with the South African soprano Golda Schultz as soloist – her first appearance in Lahti. The final concert on Saturday 31 August will feature Symphonies Nos 4, 6 and 7. As usual, all the orchestral concerts will be preceded by a pre-concert talk. 

The orchestral concerts will be complemented by a narrative runic singing concert by the Pajolaine Folk Song Duo on Friday and a chamber music concert on Saturday afternoon, in which the legendary actress Seela Sella will read Aino Sibelius’s letters and Vilina Rainisto will perform a selection of Sibelius’s piano music.

The visual aspect of the festival is designed by Klaus Haapaniemi, one of Finland’s most internationally renowned designers. The design is inspired by Lake Vesijärvi and its fantasy world beneath the surface, the sky and constellations above, and an underwater choir.

The Sibelius Festival, held annually at the Sibelius Hall, has become firmly established on the calendar of international music festivals. Osmo Vänskä, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Okko Kamu, Dima Slobodeniouk and, most recently, Dalia Stasevska have served as its artistic directors. Over the years, guest appearances have been made by many world-class individual performers and orchestras. The Festival has a large and well-established international audience, with listeners from 21 countries present at the 2023 Festival.

Tickets for the Sibelius Festival go on sale at 10 am on 15.1.2024 at Lippu.fi. 10 % early bird discount applies to tickets by 11 February.

Sibelius Festival Pass
The festival pass includes orchestral concerts Thu-Sat, cloakroom charge, concert programme and Sibelius Festival bag.

SIBELIUS FESTIVAL 2024
29–31.8.2024 Sibelius Hall, Lahti
Dalia Stasevska, artistic director

Thursday 29.8. at 7 pm, Sibelius Hall
OPENING CONCERT
Lahti Symphony Orchestra
Dalia Stasevska, conductor

Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2

Friday 30.8. at 4 pm, Sibelius Hall, Carpenters’ Hall
RUNONLAULAJA – RUNIC SINGING
Pajolaine Folk Song Duo:
Minna-Liisa Tammela, voice, laments, jouhikko
Emmi Kuittinen, voice, laments, kantele

Friday 30.8. at 7 pm, Sibelius Hall
GUEST CONCERT
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Dalia Stasevska, conductor
Golda Schultz, soprano

Symphony No. 3
Luonnotar
Symphony No. 5

Saturday 31.8 at 1 pm, Sibelius Hall, Carpenters’ Hall
AINO
Seela Sella, narrator
Vilina Rainisto, piano

Six Impromptus, Op. 5
Caprice, Op. 24 No. 3
Valse, Op. 24 No. 5
Nocturno, Op. 24 No. 8
Romance in D flat major, Op. 24 No. 9

Saturday 31.8 at 5 pm, Sibelius Hall
FINAL CONCERT
Lahti Symphony Orchestra
Dalia Stasevska, conductor

Symphony No. 4
Symphony No. 6
Symphony No. 7