Turku Philharmonic Orchestra had a successful year 2023. The orchestra organized a record-breaking 233 events, the highest in two decades. The number of public concerts, totaling 133, also reached its highest point in twenty years. The audience attendance was nearly 71,200, surpassing the figures from the previous peak year in 2019. As the new year begins, TFO welcomes a new Chief Conductor, as conductor-pianist-composer Olli Mustonen concluded his term as the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of TPO at the end of 2023.
Olli Mustonen's term as the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor culminated in performances of Beethoven and Nielsen's works at the end of 2023
Throughout his three-year term starting in 2021, Mustonen brought several top-notch guest performers to Turku, including cellist Steven Isserlis on two occasions and tenor Ian Bostridge. Mustonen, conductor and pianist, captivated the audience with music from Camille Saint-Saëns and Ludwig van Beethoven, among others.
During Mustonen's tenure, the Turku audience also had the pleasure of enjoying his own compositions, such as Symphony No. 2 "Johannes Angelos" and Symphony No. 3 "Taivaanvalot." The first recordings of these symphonies were released under Mustonen's direction on the Ondine label on November 3, 2023. In addition to Turku Philharmonic Orchestra and Mustonen, the recordings feature tenor Ian Bostridge.
Turku Philharmonic Orchestra will announce its new Chief Conductor at the end of January 2024.
Highlights of the year included the opening of Christian Kluxen's term as Principal Guest Conductor and four premieres
Spring highlights included the concluding concerts of Julian Rachlin's six-year term as a Principal Guest Conductor and soprano Karita Mattila's appearance in March. In April, the orchestra performed music from James Bond films with Diandra and conductor Antti Rissanen. The collaboration with Saaristo Opera and Turku City Theatre produced Aulis Sallinen's opera "The Red Line" at the beginning of the year, with all performances being sold out.
Autumn highlights included a concert featuring Hungarian music conducted by former Chief Conductor Tibor Bogányi in September and Christian Kluxen's opening concerts in November. In November, the orchestra presented the popular Open Orchestra production for the second time, with a total of 10 concerts for Art Explorers and other students in addition to the three evening concerts. Overall, Open Orchestra reached 9,000 listeners in 13 concerts.
Additionally, four premieres took place during the season: Matti Koponen premiered Elisar Riddelin's work "Loviatar – Concerto for Violin and Orchestra" in May. Mikko Multamäki premiered Pertti Jalava's "Sinuhe – Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra" in September, and the world-renowned Storioni Trio premiered Sebastian Fagerlund's "Lanterna – 7 Settings for Violin, Cello, Piano, and Orchestra" in October. Mikko Heiniö´s Weitab was premiered in chamber music concert in May.
Children's events reached nearly 13,500 listeners, and in addition to Open Orchestra, a concert based on Marzi Nyman's Finlandia Award-winning book "Avain hukassa" attracted a large audience. TPO engages in diverse audience outreach efforts, including the new initiative "Musicians on the Move" music moments in local libraries. Junior Club activities were also reintroduced after a few years, and the club evenings quickly filled up. In May, TPO took over Hansakortteli with baritone Waltteri Torikka, performing two concerts to a full Hansatori. In total, audience outreach events reached almost 5,900 listeners. Additionally, in 2023, the orchestra broadcasted 8 free online concerts through its website tfo.fi/live..