The first professional symphony orchestra to be founded in the Nordic countries, the Helsinki Philharmonic has been operating without a break for 125 years since 1882. Its Chief Conductor for the first 50 years was its founder, Robert Kajanus, and between 1892 and 1923 it gave the first performances of almost all the symphonic works by Jean Sibelius with the composer himself conducting. Kajanus was succeeded by Jorma Panula, Paavo Berglund, Okko Kamu and other conductors of note. From autumn 2008, the Orchestra's 12th Conductor will be John Storg?rds, who previously served as Principal Guest Conductor since 2003. He will be succeeding Leif Segerstam who lead the orchestra through 12 seasons (1995-2007) and is today its Emeritus Chief Conductor.

In addition to the 70-80 concerts it gives each year in Helsinki the HPO regularly tours abroad. The first foreign visit was to the Paris World Exhibition in 1900. The Orchestra has visited most of the countries in Europe and been on four tours both to the United States and Japan. In spring 2004 the HPO was the first Finnish symphony orchestra to tour South America.

Works by Sibelius and Rautavaara have featured on the highly-acclaimed discs made by the HPO on the Ondine label. In the mid-1980s Paavo Berglund conducted the Orchestra in a recording of the Complete Sibelius symphonies. The Sibelius series under Leif Segerstam began with the Lemmink?inen Legends (ODE 852-2) and the Violin Concerto (sol. Pekka Kuusisto; ODE 8780), which earned a Gold Disc. Ondine and the HPO have continued their long-standing partnership with a new recording of the Complete Sibelius Symphonies (released in 2005; ODE 1075-2Q), which has received excellent reviews throughout the international press. The recordings of works by Einojuhani Rautavaara have been internationally very successful, as well: Angel of Light (ODE 869-2) won a Cannes Classical Award and a Grammy nomination in 1997, Angels and Visitations (ODE 881-2) a Cannes Classical Award the following year. The Rautavaara series has continued with On the Last Frontier, an HPO commission (1999; ODE 921-2), the Third Piano Concerto, commissioned by soloist Vladimir Ashkenazy (2000; ODE 9500), The Journey (2001; ODE 978-2), and Garden of Spaces with Cantus Arcticus and Clarinet Concerto (2005; ODE 1041-2).

The Orchestra and Ondine have also ventured out into new recording territory with premiere releases of highly acclaimed works by two leading contemporary US composers, John Corigliano and Christopher Rouse, under the baton of John Storg?rds and Leif Segerstam.

Program on 18th August
Overture
Grieg: piano and orchestra concerto
Sibelius: Symphony No.1

Program on 19th August
Sibelius: Bardi
Sibelius: violin and orchestra concerto
Tchaikovsky: symphony No.5

Remarks: Tickets for Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra are available now!