Sibelius 5

Under the baton of music director Stephan Zilias, the Opera Ballet Vlaanderen Symphony Orchestra takes you on a journey to the Far North. In 2023, Swedish composer Lisa Streich wrote Ishjärta – which translates as ‘heart of ice’ – on commission from the Berliner Philharmoniker. She captures the atmospheric, yet at times biting cold in colourful, innovative orchestrations.

Next on the programme is the 1926 flute concerto by the Danish composer Carl Nielsen, a seminal piece of repertoire for the instrument. Orchestra member Manuel Astudillo Quintero shines as the soloist.

Finally, we journey to Finland with Jean Sibelius’s Fifth Symphony from 1919. Like no other, Sibelius gives a musical voice to Finnish nature. For the majestic final movement, he drew inspiration from a flock of swans taking flight above the Finnish lakes – an enchanting bird’s-eye view to bring the concert to a close.