Classical music in Finland has dominated the cultural scene from its beginnings to the present day. Strongly relying on folk tradition and the works of Jean Sibelius, contemporary Finnish music is flourishing, enabling a large number of performers, especially conductors, from that region to achieve a high international reputation. In addition to the indispensable works of Sibelius, in this program contemporary Finnish music is presented by the works of Rautavaara and the recently deceased Jaakko Kuusisto. The soloist on the violin is the exceptional Elina Vähälä.