The symphonies of Jean Sibelius (1865–1957) have served as milestones in the conducting career of Jukka-Pekka Saraste. “Finnish conductors and orchestras have a lot of lore about how to perform Sibelius’s symphonies […] and a wealth of experience and tacit knowledge has been passed down in this way. Conductor Jussi Jalas [Sibelius’s son-in-law] provided me with inside information on tempos and on the ‘yellow notes’,” Saraste explains. The ‘yellow notes’ were instructions handed to conductors by Sibelius after rehearsals and performances. “My symphonies have a compulsive drive that makes them whole,” Sibelius once said to Jalas. This is a core concept in Saraste’s readings of Sibelius, and it involves not just tempo but the movement of motif material, from the micro level to the macro level, from germs of ideas to symphonic structures.

The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (HPO) is one of the oldest continuously operating professional symphony orchestras in the Nordic countries. The orchestra was founded in 1882 and moved under administration of City of Helsinki in 1914. The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra has premiered the majority of Jean Sibelius’s orchestral compositions, and it has profiled itself as a high-class symphony orchestra that tours the most internationally renowned arenas, makes award-winning recordings and commissions and premieres works of leading international composers. The orchestra is recognised for its strong investment in reaching different audiences through, for example, the HPO Kids project and its own HKO Screen online concerts. The orchestra regularly performs with renowned guest conductors and artists around the world. During its over 140 years of operation, the orchestra has made more than 100 successful tours abroad. The first tour in year 1900 headed to Paris World Fair and since then Helsinki Philharmonic has toured in all continents. Most recently the orchestra has performed in prestigious concert halls in USA and Europe, e.g. Carnegie Hall in New York, Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Germany and Wiener Konzerthaus in Vienna, Austria. The orchestra’s recordings have received numerous awards and earned several Grammy nominations.

Jukka-Pekka Saraste has established himself as one of the most outstanding conductors of his generation, renowned for his remarkable musical depth, integrity, and objective approach. Saraste began his musical career as a violinist before studying conducting with Jorma Panula at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. Over the years, he has developed a special affinity with the sound and style of late Romantic music, maintaining a particularly strong connection to the works of Beethoven, Bruckner, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Mahler and Sibelius. In September 2023, Jukka-Pekka Saraste commenced his tenure as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. His artistic vision includes exploring the symphonic heritage of Sibelius, Mahler, and Bruckner, while also highlighting contemporary composers and music of our time. From 2010 to 2019, he served as Chief Conductor of the WDR Symphony Orchestra in Cologne. Earlier, he was Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, and he also held principal conductorships with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, alongside roles as Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Artistic Advisor of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra. Jukka-Pekka Saraste has led major orchestras across the globe, including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Staatskapelle Dresden, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and New York Philharmonic.