Estimated duration
2 h 10 min., incl. intermission
Organizer
Helsingin tapahtumasäätiö sr
In their second concert at the Helsinki Festival, the Czech Philharmonic welcomes South Korean star pianist Yunchan Lim as their guest soloist.
Lim rose to global fame in 2022 as the youngest-ever winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. At 21, Lim is considered one of the most dazzling talents of his generation, combining supreme technique with profound sensitivity.
The concert opens with Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major. The work is a stunning blend of French elegance and the jazz and folk influences the composer absorbed during his 1920s American tour. Yunchan Lim made a significant debut as the concerto’s soloist with Rome’s Santa Cecilia Orchestra last year and has performed the work frequently since. In Lim’s delicately poetic interpretation, Ravel’s sophistication, rhythmic electricity, and richness of color truly shine.
The evening concludes with Bedřich Smetana’s monumental cycle of symphonic poems, Má vlast (My Homeland). Performances of this work are among the most iconic in the Czech Philharmonic’s repertoire—the orchestra’s recording of it won the main Orchestral Award from BBC Music Magazine in 2025. Má vlast holds the same significance for Czech national identity as Finlandia does for the Finnish. The work has united the nation under Nazi occupation as well as in the fervor of the Velvet Revolution. The orchestra has performed the piece over 700 times, yet its performances continue to thrill. To conductor Semyon Bychkov, Má vlast is not merely a Czech work, but a universal depiction of belonging: “We all have a homeland. Smetana gives voice to his country’s longing, character, and dreams for the future—emotions that are shared by us all.”
Czech Philharmonic
Semyon Bychkov, conductor
Yunchan Lim, piano
Program:
Maurice Ravel: Piano Concerto in G major
Bedřich Smetana: Má vlast
In co-operation with:
Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation
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Concert Hall
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Black Box, Camerata and Sonore
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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.
