The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (FRSO) is set to perform as the festival orchestra for the upcoming Salzburg Easter Festival in 2025. For five nights, the orchestra will be led by Esa-Pekka Salonen, one of Finland’s most well-established conductors and composers.

When Salonen was given the opportunity to choose an orchestra for the Salzburg Easter Festival, FRSO was a natural choice. With their 100th anniversary just around the corner, the orchestra has become widely respected both in Finland and abroad. Despite their long history, joining the Salzburg Easter Festival is something new and unique for FRSO and for Finnish classical music.

As one of the most influential classical music and opera festivals in Europe, the Salzburg Easter Festival is known for giving the festival orchestra title to legendary orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and The Staatskapelle Dresden. Therefore, FRSO can be considered among the most skilled orchestras worldwide.

At the festival, FRSO will perform two operas from Modest Musorgski’s Hovanštšina, as well as Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2. On the final night, the orchestra will focus on Finnish music, performing Jean Sibelius's Symphony No. 2 as well as a cello concerto composed by Salonen himself, with Senja Rummukainen as the soloist.

The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra also recently performed Timo Hietala’s arrangement of Käärijä’s Cha Cha Cha. Though this performance might not be heard at Salzburg, let it speak for the versatility and talent of the orchestra (see the clip embedded below)!