鈥淭oday I saw 16 swans. One of the greatest experiences of my life. God, what beauty!鈥�
That transcendent vision inspired Sibelius to compose the finale of his Fifth Symphony, and one of the greatest but simplest tunes ever written. It鈥檚 a magnificent finish to this Sibelius 150th anniversary concert, especially when conducted by the 91热爆 Philharmonic鈥檚 principal guest conductor John Storg氓rds - described by The Daily Telegraph as 鈥渙ne of the great Sibelians of our day鈥�.
He鈥檚 created a tribute concert that looks both to the past, with the haunting The Swan of Tuonela, and the hugely popular Karelia Suite, and the future, with the stunning, Sibelius-inspired Violin Concerto by Finland鈥檚 greatest living composer, Magnus Lindberg, and played by the incomparable Christian Tetzlaff. 24 minutes of pure sonic ravishment.
Journey Through Music, 6.30pm, Barbirolli Room: Violinist Julian Gregory leads an introductory session for families about the orchestra and the music that will be played in the concert with guest speakers conductor John Storgards and trumpet player Gary Farr. Further details can be found at bbc.co.uk/philharmonic.