DAYS
6
TOUR CODE
SIBE-27
COST
£3495
DAYS
6
TOUR CODE
SIBE-27
COST
£3495
Set amongst the breathtaking landscapes Sibelius knew so well, the 2027 festival promises to be a particularly brilliant occasion as we explore the composer's musical encounters with classical greats, including Edward Elgar and modern Finnish composers.
Music List
Jean Sibelius Pohjola´s Daughter; Symphonies No 5, 6 and 7; Two Humouresques, Op 87; Four Humouresques, Op 89; Oceanides; Luonnotar; Tapiola
Edward Elgar Cello Concerto
Väinö Raitio Fantasia Poetica
Ernst Pingoud Le Prophéte
Magnus Lindberg Marea
Kaija Saariaho Mirage
Outi Tarkiainen Midnight Sun Variations
Daytime chamber performances – to be confirmed
Overview
“I often conduct an orchestra in my sleep; my orchestras are so huge that the back desks of the violas vanish into the horizon. And everything is so wonderful”
– Jean Sibelius
There is something truly extraordinary about hearing the music of Jean Sibelius within the breathtaking landscapes he knew so well, home to the culture, stories and history that inspired so many of his works. Coupled with the exceptional quality of the festival performances – acclaimed as among the best in the world – this is surely why so many music aficionados gather in the Finnish city of Lahti for the International Sibelius Festival, which retains the work of Jean Sibelius (1865–1957) at its heart.
Performances take place in the spectacular Sibelius Hall, situated on the southern shores of Lake Vesijärvi and home to the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, just one hour away from Helsinki. Built in 2000, the hall is an architectural and acoustic marvel with stunning views over the surrounding lake. Indeed, our stay in Lahti provides a tranquil contrast to the urban sights and sounds of the capital; between them, we will enjoy complementary aspects of Finland’s culture and landscape.
The 2027 festival is the final of a trilogy, masterminded by new Artistic Director Hannu Lintu, celebrating the connections Sibelius forged with other composers who both inspired and learned from him.
“Sibelius’s relationship with England was always warm, and remains so. The final version of the Fifth Symphony and Edward Elgar’s swansong, the magnificent Cello Concerto, date from the same year. Each in its own way reflects the social and artistic crossroads at which Europe found itself after the First World War. Whereas Elgar looks back to a world that has just been lost, Sibelius looks forward to the future”
– Sibelius Festival, 2027
As always, Sibelius’s orchestral music anchors the programme, beginning with a beautifully-chosen trio of works that places Elgar’s Cello Concerto alongside Sibelius’s Symphony No 5 and the tonal poem Pohjola´s Daughter. Our second evening concert juxtaposes the national Romanticism so often found in Sibelius’s works against the rejection of these themes within the music of Finnish modernists Väinö Raitio and Ernst Pingoud. This theme is taken up again in our final concert, which touches on the evolution of Sibelius’s relationship with the natural world and its emotional resonances within the human soul, accompanied by works by Magnus Lindberg, Kaija Saariaho and Outi Tarkiainen.
Our evening concerts are interspersed with smaller-scale daytime chamber recitals, which will be announced nearer to the time.
"Despite being the Tour Manager, I always return feeling well nourished – health-wise and musically! The natural landscape of trees and lakes, the food from the forests and plenty of fresh air all add up to a wonderfully relaxing experience"
Michaela Rowland-Hall, Tour Manager on a previous Sibelius Festival tour
Lahti provides an ideal introduction to Sibelius’s life and the landscape that influenced him. Alongside the festival performances, we will visit Ainola, the composer’s house with its evocative atmosphere, and enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of the Sibelius Hall.
Our itinerary also incorporates many of the cultural highlights of Finland’s dynamic capital city, where we begin our tour, including the Sibelius Monument and the fabulous Ateneum Art Museum, part of the Finnish National Gallery and site of the largest collection of classical art in the country. Helsinki is moreover home to a mix of Art Nouveau-influenced buildings alongside futuristic designs reflecting its nautical history. Beyond the city’s boundaries, we are delighted to be visiting the Old Town in Porvoo, one of Finland’s oldest cities and home to some wonderfully preserved medieval architecture. As well as viewing its iconic red ochre warehouses on the waterfront, we will wander along cobbled streets lined with multicoloured wooden houses.
2027 PROGRAMME
2027 is a particularly good year to attend the Sibelius Festival, as it marks the final of three such events under the direction of Hannu Lintu, whose conducting credits range far and wide, from the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra to Finnish National Opera and Ballet, and internationally with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and Ireland’s RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra. Lintu’s theming for 2025, 2026 and 2027 expands the reaches of the festival by revolving around Sibelius’s musical encounters: “The originality of Jean Sibelius’s output can prevent us from noticing his connections with other composers and musical styles. We know that as a young man he admired Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner and that he was well aware of the stylistic turbulence of the early 20th century… As part of the Sibelius Festival, we want to show what those connections mean in practice. One festival is not enough; we need three.”
Tour Director
Sandy Burnett
Sandy Burnett is a musician and broadcaster who has been appointed as the Hogwood Fellow of the Academy of Ancient Music.
Tour Director Sandy Burnett, MA, is a musician and broadcaster who spent a decade as one of the core team of presenters on BBC Radio 3; highlights there included hosting the breakfast programme, presenting live broadcasts from the Proms and Edinburgh Festival, and interviewing many of the world’s finest musicians. Conducting credits have included a complete cycle of Bach cantatas as well as work with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal National Theatre and in London’s West End where he spent many years as musical director. Jazz and improvised music form another important part of his output; as a double bassist he collaborates with many leading musicians from the UK and beyond. He is the author of the Idler Guide to Classical Music and has recently been appointed as the Hogwood Fellow of the Academy of Ancient Music.
Sandy writes: “For me, the chance to hear the music of Sibelius in his homeland gives an extra layer of understanding – somehow the textures and the melodies make so much more sense when we hear them in their Finnish context. And above all, the chance to visit the composer’s home in Ainola is always a special experience.”
ACE customer on a previous Sibelius Festival in Finland tour
Our Accommodation
Our Helsinki accommodation will be the four-star Solo Sokos Hotel, an elegant and sympathetically designed property in the city centre. In Lahti, we will stay at the four-star Solo Sokos Lahden Seurahuone Hotel, comfortable and conveniently located in the heart of town.
Itinerary
Day 1
Depart London Heathrow 1020 on Finnair, arriving Helsinki 1515. Transfer to Solo Sokos Hotel, Helsinki, for two nights. Welcome and introduction.
Day 2
Guided walking tour of Helsinki including railway station, Lutheran cathedral, University Library, Town Hall, harbour, Market Square and Esplanade (exteriors) followed by a visit to the Ateneum Art Museum. Possible evening performance in Helsinki at Musiikkitalo or Opera House (subject to final scheduling).
Day 3
Transfer to Solo Sokos Lahden Seurahuone Hotel, Lahti, for three nights. En route visits to Sibelius Monument and Porvoo Old Town (Old Town Hall, medieval cathedral, well-preserved historical buildings, market square and Merchant houses). Short lecture at the hotel followed by festival opening performance at Sibelius Hall featuring Sinfonia Lahti with Hannu Lintu (conductor) and Sol Gabetta (cello): Sibelius Pohjola´s Daughter, Symphony No 5; Elgar Cello Concerto in E minor, Op 85.
Day 4
Morning: guided tour of Villa Ainola (Sibelius’s house, including time to visit the gardens and grave) followed by afternoon festival chamber performance at Sibelius Hall (to be announced). Independent dinner. Evening festival performance at Sibelius Hall featuring Sinfonia Lahti with Hannu Lintu (conductor) and Lilja Haatainen (violin): Sibelius Two Humoresques, Op 87, Symphony No 6, Four Humoresques, Op 89, Symphony No 7; Väinö Raitio Fantasia Poetica; Ernst Pingoud Le Prophéte.
Day 5
Morning lecture followed by guided behind-the-scenes tour of Sibelius Hall. Afternoon festival chamber performance at Sibelius Hall (to be announced). Evening festival closing performance at Sibelius Hall featuring Sinfonia Lahti with Hannu Lintu (conductor), Tuuli Takala (soprano) and Senja Rummukainen (cello): Sibelius Oceanides, Luonnotar, Tapiola; Magnus Lindberg Marea; Kaija Saariaho Mirage; Outi Tarkiainen Midnight Sun Variations.
Day 6
Transfer to Helsinki Airport with en-route visit to Hvitträsk (famous mansion and museum once home to the architecture firm Gesellius, Lindgren, Saarinen) – final flight times permitting. Depart Helsinki 1600, arriving Heathrow 1705.
Frequently Asked Questions
To read our full list of frequently asked questions please visit our general FAQs here.
What is the maximum group size of this tour?
What is the deposit cost for this tour?
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Am I fit enough to travel on this tour?
Fitness Requirements
The majority of ACE Cultural Tours are active in nature. To make the most of our time in a destination and provide excellent value for money, they are busy – there are often several visits included each day. As such, our tours require a certain minimum level of physical and mental fitness, mobility and stamina.
Many visits will involve navigating several steps, uneven ground, steep ascents and descents, and could involve embarking and disembarking aircraft, coaches, trains and cruise vessels. Plenty of walking, punctuated by lengthy periods of standing, is the norm. Some tours may involve long coach journeys.
It is essential that all customers are sufficiently fit and able enough to fully participate. Furthermore, every tour comprises a group of guests. We cannot allow the entire group to be negatively impacted by one participant, either holding up the pace we reasonably need to maintain or disproportionately requiring the attention and support of the tour staff.
We carefully consider the intensity, fitness and other requirements of each itinerary and describe them on the tour pages of our brochures and website. Please study these descriptions closely. When you call to book, we will reiterate those requirements and ask you to confirm that all group members are indeed fit enough and otherwise able to meet the criteria. It is your responsibility to answer fully and honestly. If it transpires that you are not able to keep pace with the tour and/or it reasonably appears you are negatively impacting (or are reasonably likely to negatively impact) the enjoyment of the rest of the group (including their ability to complete all scheduled visits), we may ask you to sit out certain days/visits, take a taxi at your own expense (if available in the location), or even, if we consider there is no other reasonable alternative, ask you to leave the tour and make your own way home.
Participants should meet ACE’s usual fitness criteria, as outlined in our Booking Terms & Conditions. We have a full itinerary to make the most of our time at the festival, so a good level of stamina is required. While the walking involved on this tour is not especially demanding, participants should be comfortable staying on their feet for 2-3 hours (with stops) during the Helsinki walking tour, and some ground in Helsinki is cobbled and uneven. There are exposed tree roots at Ainola, and participants should also be comfortable ascending and descending stairs and steps.
As a minimum, participants should be able to successfully complete the following self- assessment tests:
- Walk for one hour at a reasonable pace and without needing to take a break to rest
- Climb at least two flights of stairs at a reasonable pace
- Stand unaided for at least 30 minutes
- Stand up and sit down ten times in one minute
- Carry or otherwise move your own luggage
Please ensure you have read and understand our full fitness requirements as described in our terms and conditions.
Practicalities
Subject to scheduling, we hope to be able to include an evening performance in Helsinki, either at the city’s outstanding Musiikkitalo – home to the Sibelius Academy and two major orchestras – or the Opera House. Please note that this cannot be confirmed until much nearer to departure.
UK Government Travel Advice
For additional travel information from the UK government please consult the following pages.
Flight Information
For customers who wish to make their own travel arrangements, ACE is pleased to be able to offer a travel reduction of £240.
Cost Details
Sibelius Festival in Finland
August 31 - September 5, 2027
Included: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a solo twin or double bedded room, performances as described, five breakfasts, three lunches (one light), four dinners (one light) with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.
Not Included: travel insurance, solo double room for single use supplement £295.
The tour is now fully booked.
Please contact the office on 01223 841055 to be added to the waiting list.
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