Estimated duration
2 h, incl. intermission
Organizer
Helsingin juhlaviikot
The visits of top international orchestras to Helsinki Festival will continue in 2026, when the Czech Philharmonic arrives at the Music Centre.
The venerable orchestra is now in its 130th season and continues to gain recognition as one of the most significant symphony orchestras of our time. The orchestra is especially known for cherishing the musical heritage of its homeland: the Czech composers beloved also in Finland, Antonín Dvořák and Bedřich Smetana, are a staple of the orchestra’s repertoire.
Since 2018, Chief Conductor and Music Director Semyon Bychkov has shaped the orchestra into an ever more international star: Gramophone, one of the highest authorities in classical music, selected the Czechs as Orchestra of the Year 2024, and in 2025 the orchestra won BBC Music Magazine’s main award in the orchestral recording category with the recording of Smetana’s Má vlast. In December 2025, Bychkov will conduct the prestigious Nobel Prize Concert in Stockholm.
The soloist in Dmitri Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto will be the Dutch violin star Janine Jansen. Known as an intense interpreter, Jansen has won wide acclaim as a soloist in Shostakovich’s dark and austere concerto – her performances are always technically dazzling, psychologically profound, and deeply moving.
To conclude the concert, Finnish audiences will experience a touch of history as the orchestra performs Antonín Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony – Dvořák himself conducted the Czech Philharmonic in its very first public concert in January 1896. During its 130 years, the orchestra has performed the symphony more than 400 times across Europe, Asia, and North and South America.
Czech Philharmonic
Semyon Bychkov, conductor
Janine Jansen, violin
Programme:
Dmitri Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 77
Antonín Dvořák: Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70
In co-operation with:
Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation
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. Interval refreshments are not available at all concerts.
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.
