The Lahti Symphony Orchestra (Sinfonia Lahti) is a Finnish orchestra, based in the city of Lahti. It was founded in 1910 and placed under the control of the Lahti municipality in 1949. In Finland the orchestra performs in the Sibelius Hall, while it also performs abroad in concert halls and festivals. Kalevi Aho was appointed composer-in-residence for the orchestra in 1992, and they have recorded many of his recent works.
Past chief conductors of the orchestra have included Ulf Söderblom (1985-1988). Osmo Vänskä became principal guest conductor of the orchestra in 1985, and chief conductor in 1988. During his tenure, he and the orchestra have achieved wide acclaim, particularly with performances and recordings of Sibelius. Other recordings by Vänskä and the orchestra include music of Robert Kajanus and Einojuhani Rautavaara. Vänskä concluded his tenure as Chief Conductor in 2008 and became Conductor Laureate of the orchestra.
In December 2006, the orchestra announced the appointment of Jukka-Pekka Saraste as artistic advisor to the orchestra from August 2008 to July 2011. Saraste works as part of an artistic team that includes concertmaster Jaakko Kuusisto, principal hornist Pertti Kuusi and general manager Tuomas Kinberg. In April 2009, the orchestra announced the appointment of Okko Kamu as its next chief conductor, as of the autumn of 2011, after the conclusion of Saraste's scheduled tenure as artistic advisor. Kamu's initial contract is through the spring of 2014.
Read more about Lahti Symphony Orchestra: Chief Conductors, Notable People
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“The truth is, as every one knows, that the great artists of the world are never Puritans, and seldom even ordinarily respectable. No virtuous man—that is, virtuous in the Y.M.C.A. sense—has ever painted a picture worth looking at, or written a symphony worth hearing, or a book worth reading, and it is highly improbable that the thing has ever been done by a virtuous woman.”
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