27-05-2025
‘Frozen', James Horner and John Williams: the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra's new season line-up is announced
There is much speculation as to whether the 25-year-old Finnish music director designate Tarmo Peltokoski, who succeeded Jaap van Zweden, will introduce music from his home country. (Peltokoski will officially become the music director in the 2026/27 season.) In a pre-recorded video, he enthusiastically announced that Finnish composer and conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen will lead a programme in May 2026. This programme will include Sibelius No. 5 , Strauss's Don Juan, op 20 , and Salonen's own Horn Concerto .
On Sibelius's piece, Peltokoski commented that it is an early masterpiece not often played, but it's 'fantastic epic music'. He described it as being from the Finnish national epic Kalevala , telling the story of the hero Väinämöinen, a 'young, dumb boy, a bit like the German Siegfried'. He humorously recounted how Väinämöinen 'in the first movement, runs after some girls on an island, then goes to the mythical underworld and tries to kill a holy swan—that's the famous movement. But then he dies and is resurrected by his mom, and then he returns home'. He highly recommends the piece.
More famous names are in the pipeline, including piano superstar Lang Lang, who will perform with Peltokoski for the first time, and American soprano and actress Renée Lynn Fleming. The HKPhil will announce details of the rest of its coming season in due course.
