Music of Today: Kaija Saariaho and Hans Abrahamsen

Programme

Discover the compelling music of two of the leading Nordic composers of recent decades, in this free early evening concert.

Semafor is one of the last pieces Kaija Saariaho completed before her death last year. Her choice of title is a reference to the bold, playful sculptures of Finnish artist Ernst Mether-Borgström.

Inger Christensen was one of the foremost Danish poets of the twentieth century. Hans Abrahamsen’s Two Inger Christensen Songs are crystalline settings of two of her poems, in which the narrator describes a feeling of timeless connection with the natural world.

Young British conductor Chloe Rooke and ‘brilliant’ (Chicago Tribune) soprano Olivia Boen both make their Philharmonia debuts.

This concert was originally advertised with soprano Ella Taylor. They are no longer able to perform with us, and we are delighted that Olivia Boen is stepping in. 

Part of Nordic Soundscapes