| Date and venue | Title |
|---|---|
| 6-Dec-2012 Queen's Hall, Edinburgh | SCO and Storgårds in Rautavaara, Beethoven and Mendelssohn |
 Finland’s Einojuhani Rautavaara is no stranger to the SCO, who premièred his Autumn Gardens in 1999; nor to this concert’s conductor, fellow Finn John Storgårds, who recorded a disc of his works earlier this year. Although not a world première, this was a UK first performance of his Into the Heart of Light for string orchestra. Even in the years when he embraced serialism Rautavaara somehow managed to incorporate its key-avoiding nature into an essentially romantic tonal language.Read full review... | |
| 27-Oct-2012 Bridgewater Hall | BBC Philharmonic with Martin Roscoe and John Storgårds in Sibelius, Beethoven and Nielsen |
 Since the end of September, the Manchester concert scene has been in full swing; performances from the city’s native and visiting ensembles (orchestral and chamber) are all speeding towards a diverse and exciting season of familiar and forgotten works in chamber recitals, orchestral concerts and opera. One especially well-represented composer this season is Finland’s Jean Sibelius. Born in Hämeenlinna in 1865, Sibelius is responsible for seven extraordinary symphonies, a host of tone poems and many songs, as well as incidental music, choral works and chamber music.Read full review... | |
| 9-Aug-2012 Royal Albert Hall | Prom 35: The BBC Philharmonic and John Storgårds present a feast of Nordic music |
 The Manchester-based BBC Philharmonic made their last appearance of this year’s Proms on Thursday night led by their newly appointed Principal Guest Conductor, John Storgårds. Hailing from Finland, Storgårds brought a mammoth Nordic programme with him of almost three hours in length, including two Sibelius symphonies, the UK premiere of Per Nørgård’s Seventh Symphony, the Grieg Piano Concerto and a little known vocal work by Delius, Cynara.
Read full review... | |
| 20-Apr-2012 Barbican Centre: Hall | John Storgårds conducts the BBCSO with Truls Mørk |
 A very interestingly programmed concert, this. Two Finnish and two English composers, all represented with pieces that to a greater or lesser extent are programmatic. First we heard Delius' "Walk to the Paradise Garden" from his opera A Village Romeo and Juliet (here arranged by David Lloyd-Jones). The languidly intoxicated eroticism of this piece is absolutely extraordinary, aching with Debussian impressionistic warmth, but always in a recognisably English language.Read full review... | |
