This concert commemorates the struggles of two northern European nations. We begin with Finlandia, Sibelius’ patriotic piece which reflects the Finnish people’s fight for freedom from the Russians and is deeply etched in the Finnish psyche. Sibelius’ Karelia Suite follows; composed just a few years earlier, it remains one of his most popular works.

The remainder of the concert is Russian. We are privileged to have Svetlana Bogosavljevic, Ensemble Liaison’s charismatic cellist, as soloist for Tchaikovsky’s virtuosic and graceful Variations on a Rococo Theme. We end this concert with Tchaikovsky’s turbulent and colourful 4th Symphony, considered by many as his best.