Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | Luonnotar, symphonic poem for soprano and orchestra, Op.70

Centred around Scriabin’s mystical Poem of Ecstasy, a thrilling journey through the byways of twentieth century music takes in New Zealand, Finland and France.

Sakari Oramo, Anu Komsi and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson take a deep dive into the world of Sibelius' tone poems in two concerts with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

In this second of Oramo's farewell concerts, the RSPO play Sibelius' Third and Fourth Symphonies; Anu Komsi sings a compelling Luonnotar.

The celebrated soprano leads the students of the Juilliard in an enjoyable concert that falters on the side of keeping an even keel.

With its vertiginous vocal leaps and broad intervals, Komsi's pure pitch-perfect soprano soared like the eldrich keening of a sea bird. The spareness and incantatory intensity were heightened by the BBCSO and Oramo.

Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen’s Proms debut was just one highlight in a rewarding programme of Nordic and German music.

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. 

The Finnish forests, the creation of the world and a mythical hero were vividly brought to life in the opening concert of the 15th Sibelius Festival in Lahti

Le 11 juin 2015, sous la baguette de Vladimir Ashkenazy, cinq œuvres de Sibelius étaient au programme du Philharmonia Orchestra, dont la Symphonie n°2. Une exploration originale de la musique du finlandais, soutenue par une interprétation travaillée et réfléchie.

The 82-strong Philharmonia Orchestra, under the baton of Vladimir Ashkenazy, ruled the roost at one of the highlights of Bristol’s 2014-15 classical music season.

This concert was a triumph of smart programming, combining the third symphonies of Sibelius and Lutosławski, as well as works for soprano and orchestra by these composers – both modernists in their own ways. It was also an ambitious showcase for British soprano Lucy Crowe, who sparkled in every sense (her striking peacock-green dress, finished with gleaming gems, never threatened to upstage her).