International distribution for new Sibelius & Saraste series

The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra under the leadership of its Chief Conductor and Artistic Director Jukka-Pekka Saraste has launched the Sibelius & Saraste series, during which all of Jean Sibelius’s symphonies will be recorded as high-quality multi-camera productions. The series will have its international premiere in November on Deutsche Grammophon's Stage+ streaming service.

The series begins with Sibelius’s Symphony No. 5, which will be performed at the orchestra’s concert at the Helsinki Music Centre concert hall on 7 November and broadcast worldwide live on the Stage+ streaming service. The concert can also be viewed on the ARTE Concert video service. In addition to Sibelius’s fifth symphony, the concert programme includes Lotta Wennäkoski's composition Verdigris and Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 with Nelson Goerner as soloist.

Originally founded in 1882, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra premiered the majority of Sibelius’s orchestral works, often conducted by the composer himself. The orchestra's Chief Conductor and Artistic Director Jukka-Pekka Saraste sees the recording of Sibelius’s symphonies as a natural continuation of the orchestra’s and the master composer’s journey together.

“Sibelius & Saraste is a complete series that aims to achieve the atmosphere of a live concert experience while relating the story of Sibelius’s orchestra to a wide international music audience,” says the Chief Conductor.

It has been more than 20 years already since the HPO’s last complete recording of Sibelius’s symphonies. Although more than 60 recordings of the composer's symphonies have been made, there are only a few high-quality film recordings of his entire symphonic output.

The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra is the first Finnish symphony orchestra to be broadcasted on the Stage+ streaming service. The classical music streaming service currently offers concerts by The Cleveland Orchestra and the Royal Concertgebouw.  Saraste and the HPO’s Sibelius concert can also be viewed via the classical music section of the Franco-German ARTE Concert video service.

All of Sibelius’s symphonies will be performed in the concerts of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Jukka-Pekka Saraste and will be recorded as international multi-camera productions during the years 2023–2025. The recorded symphonies will be available for viewing at a later date.

Next year will mark the 160^th anniversary of the birth of Jean Sibelius. To celebrate the anniversary, plans are for the Sibelius & Saraste series to be viewable in its entirety in 2025.