Turku Philharmonic Orchestra
The Turku Philharmonic Orchestra is Finland's oldest orchestra and one of the oldest symphony orchestras in existence anywhere. Highly regarded among Finland's regional orchestras, the group has gained international prominence under the popular and iconoclastic conductor Leif Segerstam.
The Turku Philharmonic Orchestra (in Finnish: Turun Filharmoninen Orkestri) was founded in 1790 under the name Turun Soitannollinen Seura, or Musical Society of Turku. The group played the music of Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven during the lifetimes of those composers. Until 1927 it was a private musical society, but that year it came under the management of the city of Turku. At that point the group had only 27 musicians, but it began to grow, and the players now number 74. Tauno Hannikainen was the orchestra's first chief conductor of this new era, and most of its conductors have been Finns; exceptions include Igor Bezrodnyi (1986-1990), Jacques Mercier (1990-1995), and Tibor Bogányi (2003-2006). The broadly popular Finnish conductor Hannu Lintu served as chief conductor at Turku from 1998 to 2001. A milestone in the orchestra's development was its move in 1952 into the Turku Concert Hall, the first structure in Finland built specifically for concerts. After an acoustic renovation initiated in the late 1990s, the orchestra continues to perform in the thousand-seat hall. After the tenure of Petri Sakari (2007-2011), Segerstam assumed the position of chief conductor in 2012. The orchestra had recorded intermittently before that, favoring Finnish repertory, but Segerstam brought the group to a new level of prominence. He has led the Philharmonic in recordings on the Alba and Naxos labels, including a series of recordings of little-known Sibelius works on the latter, and an unconventional cycle of Brahms symphonies on Alba. The last installment in that cycle appeared in 2019, and that year Segerstam also led the group in a performance of Beethoven's oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives, Op. 85.
© James Manheim /TiVo
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Beethoven: Christus am Ölberge, Op. 85 & Elegischer Gesang, Op. 118
Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, Jussi Myllys, Hanna-Leena Haapamäki, Niklas Spangberg, Leif Segerstam, Chorus Cathedralis Aboensis
Classical - Released by Naxos on Jun 14, 2019
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
The Most Beautiful Adagios
Classical - Released by Sony Classical on Oct 3, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Meilck: Symphony in F Minor, Op. 4 - Concert Piece in E Minor, Op. 9
Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, Liisa Pohjola
Classical - Released by Sterling Records on Apr 25, 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rakas joulu
Aarne Pelkonen, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, Antti Rissanen
Christmas Music - Released by Texicalli Records on Nov 24, 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Kullervo, Op. 7
Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, Johanna Rusanen, Jorma Panula, Esa Ruuttunen, Laulun Ystavat Male Choir
Classical - Released by Naxos on Jan 1, 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tauno Marttinen
Philippe Graffin, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, Ari Rasilainen
Classical - Released by Cobra Records on Dec 16, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Grand Chopin
Janne Mertanen, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, Jani Telaranta
Classical - Released by Alba on Mar 19, 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Nordgren: Transient Moods
Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, Juha Kangas
Classical - Released by Alba on Mar 9, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kalevi Aho: Timpani & Piano Concertos
Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, Erkki Lasonpalo, Eva Ollikainen
Classical - Released by BIS on Jun 1, 2018
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Sydämeeni joulun teen
Aarne Pelkonen, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, Antti Rissanen
Christmas Music - Released by Texicalli Records on Dec 9, 2022
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Heinio: the Knight and the Dragon
Curt Appelgren, Helena Juntunen, Charlotte Hellenkant, Turku Opera Chorus, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, Ulf Söderblom
Opera - Released by BIS on Nov 1, 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Pyysalo: Concerto For Orchestra / Sauter: Focus
Jazz - Released by Sony Classical on Apr 22, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Talvilaulu
Aarne Pelkonen, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, Antti Rissanen
Christmas Music - Released by Texicalli Records on Nov 10, 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo