The Lahti Symphony Orchestra (''Sinfonia Lahti'') is a

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

orchestra, based in the city of

Lahti Lahti (; sv, Lahtis) is a city and municipality in Finland. It is the capital of the region of Päijänne Tavastia (Päijät-Häme) and its growing region is one of the main economic hubs of Finland. Lahti is situated on a bay at the southern e ...

. The orchestra is resident at the

Sibelius Hall The Sibelius Hall ( fi, Sibeliustalo) is a concert hall in Lahti, Finland, named after the composer Jean Sibelius. The concert hall was completed in 2000. Architects Kimmo Lintula and Hannu Tikka designed the hall, which is made out of glulam. Th ...

. The orchestra was founded in 1910, and placed under the control of the

municipality in 1949.

History

Past chief conductors of the orchestra have included

Ulf Söderblom Ulf Arne Söderblom (5 February 1930 – 4 February 2016) was a Finnish conductor and music professor. He was the principal conductor of the Finnish National Opera from 1973 to 1993 and was a key figure in the revival of the Savonlinna Opera Festiv ...

(1985-1988).

Osmo Vänskä Osmo Antero Vänskä (born 28 February 1953) is a Finnish conductor, clarinetist, and composer. Biography Vänskä started his musical career as an orchestral clarinetist with the Turku Philharmonic (1971–76). He then became the principal clar ...

became principal guest conductor of the orchestra in 1985, and chief conductor in 1988. During his tenure, he and the orchestra have achieved wide acclaim, particularly with performances and recordings of

Sibelius Jean Sibelius ( ; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often ...

. Other recordings by Vänskä and the orchestra include music of

Robert Kajanus Robert Kajanus (2 December 1856 – 6 July 1933) was a Finnish conductor, composer, and teacher. In 1882, he founded the Helsinki Orchestral Society, Finland's first professional orchestra. As a conductor, he was also a notable champion and in ...

and

Einojuhani Rautavaara Einojuhani Rautavaara (; 9 October 1928 – 27 July 2016) was a Finnish composer of classical music. Among the most notable Finnish composers since Jean Sibelius (1865–1957), Rautavaara wrote a List of compositions by Einojuhani Rautavaara, gre ...

. Vänskä concluded his tenure as Chief Conductor in 2008 and became Conductor Laureate of the orchestra.

Jukka-Pekka Saraste Jukka-Pekka Saraste (born 22 April 1956) is a Finnish conductor and violinist. Biography Saraste was born in Heinola He was trained as a violinist. He later studied conducting at the Sibelius Academy with Jorma Panula in the same class as Esa-Pek ...

served as artistic advisor to the orchestra from August 2008 to July 2011. In April 2009, the orchestra announced the appointment of

Okko Kamu Okko Tapani Kamu (born 7 March 1946, Helsinki, Finland) is a Finnish orchestral conductor and violinist. Kamu was born into a family of musicians. His father played double bass in the Helsinki Philharmonic. He began violin studies at age two a ...

as its next chief conductor, as of the autumn of 2011, after the conclusion of Saraste's tenure as artistic advisor. Kamu's initial contract was through the spring of 2014. In November 2012, the orchestra announced the extension of Kamu's contract through the end of July 2016, at which time Kamu concluded his tenure as principal conductor. In August 2015, the orchestra announced the appointment of

Dima Slobodeniouk Dima Slobodeniouk (Димa Слободенюк;( born 1975) is a Finnish conductor based in Finland. Biography As a youth, Slobodeniouk began his violin studies in Moscow, from 1980 to 1989, at the Moscow Central Music School, where his teacher ...

as its next principal conductor, effective in the autumn of 2016, with an initial contract of 3 seasons. In April 2018, the orchestra announced the extension of Slobodeniouk's contract with the orchestra through 31 July 2021, at which time he is scheduled to conclude his Lahti tenure. In December 2018,

Anja Bihlmaier Anja Bihlmaier (born 11 October 1978, Schwäbisch Gmünd) is a German conductor. Biography Bihlmaier's parents sang in a church choir, and she learned the recorder as a youth. She later studied piano and violin. Her teachers included Roland Ba ...

first guest-conducted the orchestra. In September 2019, the orchestra announced the appointment of Bihlmaier as its next principal guest conductor, effective with the 2020-2021 season, with an initial contract of 3 seasons. Bihlmaier is the first female conductor named to the post. In 2015,

Dalia Stasevska Dalia Stasevska (born 30 December 1984) is a Finnish conductor. She is currently the principal guest conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and chief conductor of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra. Biography Born in Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union, ...

first guest-conducted the orchestra. In May 2020, the orchestra announced the appointment of Stasevska as its next principal conductor, effective with the 2021-2022 season, with an initial contract of 3 seasons. Stasevska is the first female conductor to be named chief conductor of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra.

Kalevi Aho Kalevi Ensio Aho (born 9 March 1949) is a Finnish composer. Early years Aho began his interest in music at the age of ten, when he discovered a mandolin in his home and began to teach himself how to play it. He soon was taken under the tutelag ...

was appointed composer-in-residence for the orchestra in 1992, and the orchestra has recorded many of his recent works.

Chief conductors

* Martti Similä (1951–1957) * Urpo Pesonen (1959–1978) * Jouko Saari (1978–1984) * Ulf Söderblom (1985–1988) *

(1988–2008) *

(artistic advisor, 2008–2011) *

(2011–2016) *

(2016–2021) *

(2021–present)

References

External links

Official web site of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra
{{Authority control Musical groups established in 1910 Finnish orchestras 1910 establishments in Finland Lahti Performing groups established in 1910