Erkki Lasonpalo, director
Amanda Ernesaks, solo violin

Auditório do Conservatório de Música de Coimbra

Igreja da Trindade
(Porto)

Palácio Nacional de Queluz

Programme

L. Boulanger (1893-1918): D’ un matin de printemps

J. Sibelius (1865-1957): Concerto para violino e orquestra em Ré menor, Op. 47

I. Allegro moderato
II. Adagio di molto
III. Allegro, ma non tanto

Amanda Ernesaks – violino solo

P. I. Tchaikovsky (1840-1893): Suite “O Lago dos Cisnes”, Op. 20a

1. Scène
2. Valse
3. Dances des cygnes
4. Scène
5. Danse Hongroise. Czardas
6. Scène

J. Sibelius: Finlandia, Op. 26

O Lisbon Music Fest associa-se ao espírito solidário da Acreditar – Associação de Pais e Amigos de Crianças com Cancro, através de três Concertos Solidários Acreditar, no âmbito da digressão internacional da Tapiola Youth Symphony Orchestra (Finlândia).

Esta iniciativa é acompanhada de uma campanha de recolha de fundos, que desde já agradecemos, a reverter integralmente a favor da Acreditar, para apoiar os desafios que o cancro pediátrico impõe, proporcionando a certeza de apoio num momento de incerteza, acompanhando as famílias e as crianças em todas as fases da doença, com empatia e profissionalismo.

Apelamos à solidariedade de todos para fazerem um donativo à Acreditar através dos seguintes dados:

IBAN: PT50001803550020001314064
NIF: 503571920
MB WAY: 916897230

Serão emitidos recibos de donativo, pelo que se solicita o envio do nome, NIF e respetivo valor doado para o e-mail: acreditar@acreditar.pt

Tapiola Youth Symphony Orchestra (TYSO) is made up of around 70 talented young music students from Espoo Music Institute, EMO. The orchestra has received praise both in Finland and abroad during concert tours. Tours have taken the orchestra to many European countries including Spain, Slovenia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Hungary, Italy, Ireland and Austria. 2014 TYSO made a tour to China and performed in Bejing Music Festival and Shanghai International Arts Festival. The orchestra has made recordings for CDs, TV, radio and film.

The Espoo Music Institute first founded its own symphony orchestra in 1985 under the baton of Pekka Savijoki. Markus Lehtinen took over in 1993, Jani Telaranta in 2005 and Jan Söderblom in 2011, since 2015 orchestra has been conducted by Erkki Lasonpalo.

The orchestra works on a project basis and prepares 3-4 programs per year. The members of the orchestra take part in planning process. The enthusiastic and youthful orchestra is inspired by the shared goal – exploring music and it’s emotions together.

The foundation for the acclaimed ensemble and its distinctive sound is the step-by-step orchestra-training program of the Espoo Music Institute. Young musicians move up from one orchestra to the next as they become more advanced. By the time they reach the symphony orchestra, they are not only masters of their own instruments but are experienced ensemble musicians as well. A mutual job well done, even if it entails a lot of hard work, is a tremendous experience and generates a great sense of belonging together.

The orchestra’s home is the Tapiola Hall, located at the Espoo Cultural Centre. Throughout its history, the orchestra has works with Finland’s leading musicians, with soloists including Jorma Hynninen, Réka Szilvay, Matti Raekallio, Pietari Inkinen, Sakari Oramo, Hagai Shaham, Roi Ruottinen, Paavali Jumppanen, Jonathan Roozeman, Kreeta-Julia Heikkilä etc. The orchestra has collaborated with Tapiola Sinfonietta, Jyväskylä Sinfonietta, appeared on Finnish TV broadcasts, recorded music for commercials, radio broadcasts, and the feature films Bad Luck Love, Aleksis Kivi, Abandoned Houses, Empty Yards and Storm.

Erkki Lasonpalo, director

Artistic Director of the Mikkeli Music Festival
Chief conductor and artistic director of the Lappeenranta City Orchestra
Chief conductor of the St. Michel Strings

A decade after he was invited to study with the Finnish conducting guru Jorma Panula, Erkki Lasonpalo is making a name for himself as a conductor who combines fluent technique with natural communicative spirit. After tutoring from Panula, Erkki continued his studies at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki with Leif Segerstam, where he was awarded a Wegelius Foundation grant and graduated with the highest honours.

One of the leading Finnish conductors of his generation Erkki Lasonpalo has conducted most of the major orchestras in Finland including the Helsinki Philharmonic, Finnish Radio Symphony, Tampere and Turku Philharmonic Orchestras and the Lahti, Oulu and Kuopio Symphony Orchestras. He has also been engaged by the City Orchestras of Lappeenranta, Vaasa, Pori, Jyväskylä and Joensuu as well as the Tapiola Sinfonietta and the Lapland Chamber Orchestra. Erkki has augmented his growing experience in opera by working with the orchestra of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet and with Oulu Opera, Savonlinna Opera Festival and Sakari Oramo’s West Coast Kokkola Opera Company. Internationally he has given acclaimed performances with the Gothenburg Symphony, Iceland Symphony, Sinfonietta Cracovia, ADDA Sinfónica (Alicante) among many others.

Erkki has worked as the artistic director of the Helsinki Sinfonietta in 2014-2020, Kemi City Orchestra in 2016-2020, Heinävesi Music Festival in 2014-2023 and as an artistic partner of St. Michel Strings (Mikkeli City Orchestra) in 2017-2020.

Future engagements will bring Erkki Lasonpalo to the Philharmonia Orchestra of London, Orquesta Filarmónica de Málaga, Orquesta Filarmónica de Bógota, Orquesta Reino de Aragón, Oulu Sinfonia, Presidential Symphony Orchestra Ankara, Pori Sinfonietta, Tapiola Sinfonietta, etc.

Since 2020 Erkki has held the position of Chief Conductor of St. Michel Strings and Artistic Director of Lappeenranta City Orchestra. In the summer of 2023 Erkki started as the Artistic Director of the Mikkeli Music Festival. Mikkeli Music Festival signed a four-year cooperation agreement with Philharmonia Orchestra of London.

Like many of the most distinguished Finnish conductors working globally, Erkki laid the foundations of his musicianship as a professional instrumentalist. He studied violin at the Sibelius Academy and remains a member of the prize-winning Postiglione String Quartet.

Amanda Ernesaks, violino solo

Amanda Ernesaks (born 2002) is studying at the Munich University of Music and Theatre under the guidance of Prof. Mi-kyung Lee. She has previously been taught by Päivyt Meller, Laura Vikman, Pekka Kauppinen and Prof. Réka Szilvay at the Sibelius Academy’s youth education and Grazyna Zeranska-Gebert at the Espoo Music Institute. She has been taught by, among others, Ana Chumachenco, Kerson Leong, Jean-Jacques Kantorow and Gerhard Schulz.

Amanda has been awarded 3rd prize at the international “Young Musician” competition in Tallinn in 2013 and 2015, 1st prize at the “Juhani Heinonen” violin competition in 2016 and 2nd prize in 2019, and 2nd prize at the Estonian National String Competition in 2020. In 2025 she received 1st prize at the Kuopio Violin Competition.

Amanda has been an active chamber musician at festivals around Finland, such as Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival, Kamarikesä, Turku and Kauniainen Music Festival, Kokkolan syyskamari, and has performed as a soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, the Estonian National Opera Orchestra, the Jyväskylä Symphony Orchestra, the Wegelius Chamber Orchestra, and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra at the Young Soloists’ Concert.

In autumn 2015, Amanda and her friends founded the Seele Quartet, which has been successful in competitions, winning 1st prize in its age group at the Erkki Melartin Chamber Music Competition in 2016 and 2nd prize in Berlin at the “The Rising Stars Grand Prix” competition in 2017. The quartet has performed at festivals across Finland and in London.

Amanda’s work has been kindly supported by the Finnish Cultural Foundation