Kalevi Aho at 75

Kalevi Aho, one of Finland’s most celebrated contemporary composers, will be 75 on 9 March 2024, and there will be numerous concerts to mark the event. The Saimaa Sinfonietta commissioned him to write his 18th symphony, which was premiered in Mikkeli on 8 February with Erkki Lasonpalo conducting. The Oulu Symphony Orchestra under Jessica Cottis will premiere Aho’s new Double Concerto with Christel Lee (violin) and Jonathan Roozeman (cello) as the soloists on 25 April, and the programmes for many other orchestras and festivals will include works by Aho.
October 2023 saw the publication of a biography by Hannu Lahtonen giving a detailed account (in Finnish) of Kalevi Aho’s life and work, career and performances in Finland and abroad.