Estimated duration
2 h, incl. intermission
Organizer
Helsingin kaupunginorkesteri
Kurtág celebrated his 100th birthday in February 2025 and is still studying scores. “I can only really hear the music, from the inside, by reading it.”
Pekka Kuusisto, conductor
Kirill Gerstein, piano
György Kurtág: …quasi una fantasia…
Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 “Emperor”
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 41 “Jupiter”
In his composition …quasi una fantasia… Kurtág disperses the orchestra’s musicians into a sparse formation around the stage, far from each other. “I wanted for musicians to not be able to discuss how bad the music was during rehearsals,” Kurtág says with a twinkle in the corner of his eye. The title of the piece refers to Beethoven, a composer very important to Kúrtag.
The evening’s piano soloist Kirill Gerstein finds a lot of humour in the music of Beethoven, despite his reputation for being grumpy: “In people’s minds, Beethoven shakes his fist at the sky, which is true, but there are also a lot of tricks and jokes.”
Season tickets on sale 28 October – 24 November, single tickets go on sale 2 December.
Tickets to Musiikkitalo concerts and other events are available to purchase on our website, by telephone and at our physical box office.
Book tickets for 10–20 or more people is by contacting group sales service by email at ryhmat@musiikkitalo.fi or by telephone on 0600 411 101 (Monday to Friday, 9:00–15:00).
How about a cup of coffee, a bite to eat or a glass of bubbly during the interval? Order your drinks in advance to beat the queues and make the most of your concert visit.
Our location could not be more central or easier to get to. Almost all forms of Helsinki public transport stop right outside our doors, cycle parking is provided at all our entrances, and Aimo Park Finlandia, our nearest multi-storey car park, offers lift access directly to our main foyer.
At Helsinki Music Centre we are proud to be an accessible and welcoming place for everyone. Tactile handrails and signage have been fitted across the building, and there are tactile indicator strips on the floor too to guide partially sighted and blind visitors. Induction loops are always available, and guide or companion dogs are of course permitted within the building.
Concert Hall
The route to your seat is always printed on your ticket. Check the door number to find out which entrance to take. The seating areas are marked with letters. There is level access to all wheelchair seats from the main entrances. Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with our venue – our staff are always on hand to help you find your seat.
Black Box, Camerata and Sonore
Use the row number printed on your ticket to find your seat. Wheelchair seats are situated on the same level as the entrance. Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with our venue – our staff area always on hand to help you find your seat.
Unallocated seating
Please choose your seat on the day.
Floor plans
You can view our floor plans before your visit.
Cloakroom
We ask you to leave your coat and any larger items in the cloakroom. The cloakroom is free of charge.
Latecomers
Latecomers will be asked to wait until a suitable break in the performance or admitted after the interval.
Photography
You are not permitted to record concert performances at Helsinki Music Centre. However, you may take photographs before and after the concert and during applause. Individual concert organisers may have their own, more detail guidance regarding recording and photography.
Dress code
We’re happy to say we have no dress code at Helsinki Music Centre, and we positively encourage you to come as you are. However, we would be grateful if you could avoid wearing strong perfume during your visit so that people with asthma and fragrance sensitivity can enjoy our concerts symptom free.
