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.

Soprano Ella Taylor, acclaimed for their ‘gorgeous voice’ (BBC Music Magazine) and winning stage presence, first performed with us at Bold Tendencies, in a multi-storey car park in Peckham. They make a welcome return, with a small ensemble of Philharmonia players, and conductor Chloe Rooke makes her Philharmonia debut.

Part of Nordic Soundscapes