CONCERT INFORMATION

Featuring:
Holly Mathieson, conductor
Kerson Leong, violin
Symphony Nova Scotia

On the Program:
Andrea Tarrodi: Birds of Paradise II
Jean Sibelius: Violin Concerto
Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 5

Access our Digital Program here.

Symphony Nova Scotia’s expanded orchestra proudly presents an explosive season grand finale concert, highlighting the soaring music of Sibelius! Swedish composer Andrea Tarrodi’s brilliant Birds of Paradise sets the stage for our first-ever performance of Sibelius’ stunning Fifth Symphony – a grand, slow-growing spectacle that culminates in its breathless, exhilarating, and unforgettable “swan hymn”. Plus, Canadian rising star violinist Kerson Leong returns to Nova Scotia for Sibelius’ sensational, showstopping Violin Concerto, one of the most popular violin works in the world.

HOLLY’S NOTE

I’ve always wanted to conduct Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony, but never had the chance until now. It is vast, epic, life-affirming beauty on the grandest scale. I challenge you to not burst into tears when you hear those massive swan wings beating through the strings and brass in the third movement – for me, it is the closest music has ever come to negating the laws of gravity. You really feel yourself soaring over the Finnish tundra and snowy forests! Swedish composer Andrea Tarrodi’s Birds of Paradise is the ideal tone poem to transport us to northern soundscapes and landscapes for the evening.

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