Sibelius, Jean - Symphony No. 7; Pelleas et Melisande; King Christian II - Collon, Nicholas

Conductor Nicholas Collon took up his post as the new chief conductor of the Radio Symphony Orchestra in September 2021. This program, carefully selected by the conductor and devoted entirely to Sibelius, is his debut album with his new orchestra. Collon offers a fresh and modern interpretation of Sibelius's symphonic testament, Symphony No. 7, and brings to life the colors and drama of Sibelius's incidental music in two plays – Maeterlinck's famous Pelléas and Mélisande and the historical King Christian II. The Radio Symphony Orchestra (RSO) is the orchestra of the Finnish Broadcasting Company, and its mission is to produce and promote Finnish music culture. Founded in 1927 as a ten-piece radio orchestra, it grew to symphony orchestra proportions in the 1960s. Its chief conductors have included Toivo Haapanen, Nils-Eric Fougstedt, Paavo Berglund, Okko Kamu, Leif Segerstam, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Sakari Oramo, Hannu Lintu, and, from autumn 2021, Nicholas Collon. In addition to the great masterpieces of classical and romantic music, the latest contemporary music is a central part of the RSO's repertoire, which premieres several works commissioned by Yle each year.