Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | Symphony no. 5 in E flat major, Op.82

Salonen and the Orchestre de Paris opened the Elbphilharmonie season with a vivid journey from Strauss’s dramatic energy, through a reflective new Horn Concerto, to Sibelius’s luminous, precise grandeur.

Textures, tensions and transformations across musical perspectives imbue the Tanglewood programme Thomas Adès inherited from Esa-Pekka Salonen. 

Stephen Waarts plays two 21st-century works for violin and orchestra that deserve to become repertoire regulars, sandwiches by two fine performances of Sibelius symphonies. 

After an absence of more than two decades, Esa-Pekka Salonen returns to The Cleveland Orchestra, conducting his own Cello Concerto, flanked by Ravel and Sibelius.

Jamie Barton sings Mahler's Rückert-Lieder and a UK premiere for Julius Eastman's Second Symphony, a final love letter. 

At Tanglewood, Dalia Stasevska pairs Sibelius and Stravinsky via a rarely heard orchestration of the former by the latter. 

Expectations are not fulfilled in an uneven performance of Mendelssohn's great fiddle concerto, followed by an unidiomatic view of Sibelius' Fifth Symphony.

Beginning a two-week residency, Esa-Pekka Salonen juxtaposed a work of his own with selections from two composers with which he is deeply identified: Sibelius and Steven Stucky.

Vibrato-less strings and raw energy from woodwind and brass are not the sounds you would traditionally associate with Glinka, Rachmaninov, Grieg and Sibelius. The OAE invites you to think again.

Jacob Joyce leads the Pittsburgh Symphony in two Finnish works, both which paint the natural beauty of their composers’ homeland. James Ehnes takes matters a different direction in a work by Bernstein.

A century of Finnish music from Sibelius to Salonen as Mikko Franck guest conducts at the Philharmonie. 

The Hong Kong Philharmonic under Paavo Järvi seduce with delicious Strauss, a mighty Sibelius Fifth and Zee Zee’s vibrant Liszt Piano Concerto no. 2.

The Ukrainian-Finnish conductor finds fresh insight in Sibelius' Fifth Symphony and introduces local audiences to the living Swedish composer Andrea Tarrodi.

Now in his 23rd year at the helm of the OM, Yannick Nézet-Séguin continues to astound Montrealers with his uncanny ability to inspire players to give their absolute best.

A self-effacing, literal approach from conductor Ilan Volkov brings marvellous transparency to works by Sibelius and Prokofiev, while highlighting the flaws in a new work by Freya Waley-Cohen.

New Chief Conductor Nicholas Collon passes the Sibelius test with flying colours in a fine Fifth Symphony. 

Jason Lai returns to Hong Kong with French oboist Gabriel Pidoux in an emotionally fulfilling rendition of Vaughan Williams' Oboe Concerto. 

The grand finale of the Oslo Philharmonic's Sibelius cycle at the Wiener Konzerthaus ends with a grand finale – the famous Swan Hymn of the Fifth Symphony.

Music by (and inspired by) Sibelius sounds great in this Scottish performance, but Dvořák’s Cello Concerto fails to cohere.

Works of Adès and Walton – both of special significance to The Cleveland Orchestra – precede a lush Sibelius 5 at Severance Music Center. 

Mälkki's performance had all the trappings and the appearance of an informal audition for the Philharmonic's top musical position.

Karina Canellakis makes her first appearance at the Royal Festival Hall as the LPO’s Principal Guest Conductor, giving a punchy account of Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony that takes in the sweep of its mighty architecture.

Andrew Manze conducts the RLPO in a mostly Scandinavian programme in which the world premiere of a viola concerto proves to be an intriguing listen. 

Yefim Bronfman's artistry raises Montreal's OSM to new heights, thanks in no small part to guest conductor Thomas Søndergård.

Oramo's structural insight ensures ideal tempo relations between sections, so crucial in Sibelius.

Who would have thought celebrating a Black Mass could be quite such fun?

I’ve heard this concerto a hundred times but it’s never sounded quite like this. It was a coming home.

Continuing its series of landmark classics inspired by the British Isles, the London Philharmonic conducted by Osmo Vänskä showcases Bax before moving north to traverse the Nordic landscapes of Grieg and Sibelius.

The Oslo Philharmonic and Vasily Petrenko with Nikolai Lugansky bring Delius, Grieg and a sublime Sibelius Fifth Symphony to Sage Gateshead.

In which Santtu-Matias Rouvali and the Gothenburg Symphony seek out a contrast with the dark sound colours of Sibelius.

A fresh take on timeless classics keeps the interest high in this concert featuring cellist Julian Schwarz and conductor JoAnn Falletta leading the Virginia Symphony Orchestra.

This concert at Usher Hall delivered extraordinary playing, in repertoire ranging from Beethoven to Bernstein and Sibelius.

Bringing their residency to a close, Anderson and Roe perform Mozart’s concerto for two pianos. Anu Tali makes her RLPO debut with Bernstein, Tubin and Sibelius.

Festive Janáček and energetically fresh Sibelius from Rattle and the LSO, with impressive focus and intensity from Janine Jansen in Szymanowski's sensuous Violin Concerto no. 1.

The Estonian Festival Orchestra makes its Proms debut in a refreshing Baltic-Nordic programme.

Teztlaff’s ability to bring freshness and an enchanted inner life to even the most trodden of musical works is unsurpassed.

Despite an impressive Elgar concerto with Müller-Schott, it was in the Sibelius symphony that Mälkki fell short. 

A charming rendition of Nielsen's Aladdin Suite and Ravel’s Piano Concerto made up the first half while Martín gave us a romantic rendition of Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony.

Paavo Järvi joined artist-in-residence Leif Ove Andsnes and the musicians of the New York Philharmonic for Rachmaninov, Salonen and Sibelius.

A dream programme of works by Strauss, Berg and Sibelius, matched by performances from Sakari Oramo, Alina Pogostkina and the BBC Symphony Orchestra that really hit the sweet spot.

Playing music by Copland, Hovland and Sibelius, the Oslo Philharmonic and Dalia Stasevska gave exciting performances, even though the quality of the music did not always match.

Neeme Järvi’s authoritative CSO appearance was grounded by two major scores of Sibelius, preceded by a Prokofiev violin concerto with Vadim Gluzman and a rarely heard work of Glazunov.

This central instalment in Osmo Vänskä’s Sibelius cycle with the London Philharmonic Orchestra fully endorsed his credentials as perhaps the world's greatest Sibelian.

Listening to Esa-Pekka Salonen conduct the Philharmonia Orchestra brought back memories of his halcyon days with the Los Angeles Philharmonic when he summoned up Sibelius with a golden magician's wand, and Beethoven with a lapidarian's curiosity. 

Garrick Ohlsson's performance is the highlight of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's 2016/17 season opener. 

Irish soprano Orla Boylan offers an engaging performance of Ravel's Shéhérazade and Sibelius' Luonnotar while the NSO under the baton of Brönnimann deliver a commendable Sibelius 5. 

Okko Kamu conducts the Hallé in Strauss' Don Juan, Grieg's Piano Concerto with Alexander Gavrylyuk, and Sibelius' Fifth Symphony at the Bridgewater Hall

Difficult to imagine anyone finding fault with Arabella Steinbacher's Brahms concerto – or finding a similar consensus about Salonen's Sibelius Five.

The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Thomas Dausgaard took us on a Finnish journey in a haunting programme of Sibelius' last three symphonies.