In the midst of such a riot of contemporary music, the Northern Soundscapes series that comprises six concerts may seem more mainstream. The first two concerts of the series were performed at the Royal Festival Hall, the largest venue in this space, and were presented by the long-time Southbank Centre resident Philharmonia Orchestra, under the baton of the young and vigorous Finn Santtu-Mattias Ruvali. However, this orchestra’s history also includes many experimental concerts and a great deal of experience with contemporary music. After all, before Ruvali’s appointment, the orchestra had been led by another famous Finn, Esa-Pekka Salonen, known for his interest in the use of video and virtual reality technology in classical music. ‘Nordic Soundscapes’ thus reflected both the orchestra’s long-term “Finnish” identity and its continuous desire for experimentation, and fitted wonderfully into the weekend of new music, making it even more colourful and vibrant.

 The first two concerts of this promising Nordic Soundscapes programme, which took place on 26 and 29 September 2024, represented the structure of the whole cycle. The programmes for all six concerts, handed out on both 26 and 29 September, included interviews with several representatives of Nordic musical culture. The events of the Nordic Soundscapes programme that will be on at the Royal Festival Hall until 10 November 2024, on the one hand, can give connoisseurs of Nordic composers the opportunity to enjoy the favourite classics again – symphonies by the Danish Carl Nielsen and the great Finn Jan Sibelius will be part of the programme. On the other hand, each of the main concerts, as well as several additional free events, will focus on introducing leading representatives of contemporary music from the Nordic countries (Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden), representing different generations of artists. The concert on September 26 saw the UK premiere of Oceans by the Icelandic composer María Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir, while the free Music of Today concert on 6 October will feature works by Denmark’s Hans Abrahamsen and the recently departed Finnish great classic Kaija Saariaho. The last concert on November 10 will feature works by Lotta Wennäkoski and Magnus Lindberg, two representatives of the Finnish school of contemporary music.

 Interestingly, five of the six concerts will be conducted by Finns, whose school of conducting music is now world-renowned. The Philharmonia has a long tradition here, and this British orchestra has now again decided to actively use its Nordic trump card, as it has done many times before. The first and second concerts of the programme were conducted by the orchestra’s current Principal Conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali, who will also lead the concert on 3 November. The October 27 concert will be conducted by the magnificent young Finnish conductor Emilia Hoving, who has already made a name for herself in Europe. The programme will be rounded off by Esa-Pekka Salonen, former Principal Conductor of the Philharmonia, who has also been involved in the devising of this programme and has brought his experience of working with virtual reality to the Philharmonia. Salonen’s visit is both a tribute to the orchestra’s tradition and an indicator of its continuing openness to contemporary music.

Keeping on with its interest in new technologies, the Philharmonia also presented its new VR experience during the opening weekend of the series. Long queues lined up in the Southbank foyer for a chance to imagine themselves in the place of the orchestra musicians with the help of a VR helmet (the viewpoint changed from brass to strings) and for the opportunity, while listening to Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony, to fly over Finland and see landscapes of incredible beauty from a bird’s eye view. It was so immersive that the concerts themselves, with their dimmed green lights and a huge green screen with the words “Northern Soundscapes” seemed like a direct extension of this virtual reality experience. Incidentally, the connection with nature is not only stated in breathtaking views of this VR programme, but also encompasses the entire series, which will also include a series of panel discussions ‘Notes on Nature’, as well as a morning meeting for everyone to join the Danish choral tradition.

Nature was also part of our visual experience during the first concerts, as they included more than just music. On 29 September, a piece by Japanese composer Miho Hazama (currently living in Denmark) What the Wind Brings was accompanied by a collage of videos of underwater life made in the Stockholm archipelago. They were shot by Swedish film director and environmental activist Joakim Odelberg, who presented his concept before performing this composition, and before that took part in a panel discussion focusing on the sea.  Conversations about forests, wildlife and humans against the backdrop of nature will follow on the days of other concerts. It seems that this multidisciplinary concert series has blown into London’s music season like a Nordic wind, and will give audiences a unique opportunity to conceptually, visually and musically engage with Scandinavian values and culture. It is by no means to be missed!