Seven commissions on the program

Chief conductor Klaus Mäkelä and the Oslo Philharmonic open the season with Gustav Mahler’s enigmatic and multifaceted Symphony No. 7 and Anders Hillborg’s new orchestral work Hell Mountain – a tribute to Mahler, inspired by one of his sources of inspiration in nature.

• Anders Hillborg  Hell Mountain
• Gustav Mahler  Symphony No. 7

• Klaus Mäkelä,  Conductor

Pekka Kuusisto conducts the Oslo Philharmonic and Ung Filharmoni in a concert featuring two musical interpretations of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet—Johan Svendsen’s Concert Overture and Sergei Prokofiev’s ballet music. Tine Thing Helseth is the soloist in a new trumpet concerto written for her by Nico Muhly.

• Johan Svendsen  Romeo and Juliet
• Nico Muhly  Doom Painting (Trumpet Concerto)
• Sergei Prokofiev  Romeo & Juliet: Suite No. 2: I. Montagues and Capulets
• Sergei Prokofiev  Romeo & Juliet: Suite No. 1
• Sergei Prokofiev  Romeo & Juliet: Suite No. 2: VII. Romeo at Juliet's Grave

• Pekka Kuusisto,  Conductor
• Tine Thing Helseth,  Trumpet
• Ung Filharmoni, 

Bjørn Kruse’s new violin concerto is written for Oslo Philharmonic violinist Maria Angelika Carlsen, who premieres the work as the soloist. In Unfolding Moments, new musical ideas continuously emerge, seamlessly connected by the violin’s voice. Finnish conductor Eva Ollikainen leads one of the most iconic symphonies in classical music—Ludwig van Beethoven’s Fate Symphony.

• Bjørn Kruse  Unfolding Moments (fiolinkonsert)
• Ludwig van Beethoven  Symfoni nr. 5

• Eva Ollikainen,  Dirigent
• Maria Angelika Carlsen,  Fiolin

The Oslo Philharmonic held its first Christmas concerts in 1969, and they have since become a cherished tradition for many during the holiday season. The program features beloved Christmas songs performed by a full symphony orchestra, choir, and soloists, alongside classical holiday repertoire. Christian Øland conducts, and this year’s concert includes the world premiere of Hermann Vogt’s Hymn.

• Christian Øland,  Conductor
• Oslo Philharmonic Choir, 
• Simon Halsey,  Choral director and artistic advisor

A unique Norwegian compositional voice meets Norway’s leading piano star as Leif Ove Andsnes premieres Ørjan Matre’s Piano Concerto. Thomas Søndergård conducts Matre’s orchestral work Lyric Pieces, inspired by Edvard Grieg’s piano miniatures, along with Richard Strauss’ virtuosic and self-revealing symphonic poem Ein Heldenleben.

• Ørjan Matre  Lyric Pieces
• Ørjan Matre  Piano Concerto
• Richard Strauss  Ein Heldenleben

• Thomas Søndergård,  Conductor
• Leif Ove Andsnes,  Piano

Aivis Greters conducts the Oslo Philharmonic’s choir and orchestra in Johannes Brahms’ dramatic Schicksalslied, Pēteris Vasks’ meditative The Fruit of Silence, and Igor Stravinsky’s powerful Symphony of Psalms. The Easter concert also features the world premiere of Herman Vogt’s orchestral work Light Shall Shine Out of Darkness.

• Pēteris Vasks  The Fruit of Silence
• Igor Stravinsky  Symphony of Psalms
• Herman Vogt  Light Shall Shine Out of Darkness
• Johannes Brahms  Schiksalslied

• Aivis Greters,  Conductor
• Oslo Filharmoniske Kor, 
• Simon Halsey,  Choral director and artistic advisor

The clarinet was still a relatively new instrument when Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed his famous Clarinet Concerto. Tonight’s soloist is Martin Fröst, who has expanded and redefined the expressive possibilities of the clarinet in our time. Finnish composer Sauli Zinovjev explores the sound, taste, and weight of metal in his symphony Taste of Metal. Osmo Vänskä conducts.

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart  Clarinet Concerto
• Sauli Zinovjev  Taste of Metal

• Osmo Vänskä,  Conductor
• Martin Fröst,  Clarinet