Sibelius 5 & Stravinsky

Dalia Stasevska’s charismatic and dynamic musicianship has established her as a conductor of exceptional versatility. Chief conductor of Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Stasevska also holds the post of principal guest conductor of BBC Symphony Orchestra. She has made regular appearances at the BBC Proms.

This season, Stasevska conducts major orchestras worldwide such as Berlin Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Helsinki Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, and the New World Symphony to name a few.

Performing works of contemporary composers is a core part of Stasevska’s programming, and this season with Lahti Symphony Orchestra, they present works by Kaija Saariaho, Judith Weir, Missy Mazzoli, Andrea Tarrodi, and Sauli Zinovjev. A passionate opera conductor, 2023 saw her highly successful debut at the Glyndebourne Opera Festival with a revival of the iconic Peter Halls production of Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Her debut solo album Dalia’s Mixtape with BBC Symphony Orchestra released in 2024 on Platoon, features 10 tracks of some of the freshest sounds in contemporary music by genre-bending composers. In a special collaboration with Joshua Bell and the INSO-Lviv Symphony Orchestra, Stasevska released Thomas de Hartmann’s Violin Concerto on Pentatone Records. In 2023, with Lahti Symphony Orchestra, she released two albums on BIS—piano concerti by Rautavaara and Martinů with pianist Olli Mustonen and the first volume of Helvi Leiviskä’s orchestral works.

Stasevska studied as a violinist and composer at the Tampere Conservatoire and, subsequently, violin, viola and conducting at the Sibelius Academy. In December 2018, she conducted the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra at the Nobel Prize Ceremony. She was named one of The New York Times Breakout Stars and received the BBC Music Magazine’s Personality of the Year award in 2023, Alfred Kordelin Prize in 2022 and Royal Philharmonic Society’s Conductor Award in 2020.

She was bestowed the Order of Princess Olga of the III degree by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2021 for her significant contribution to the developing international cooperation. Since 2022, she has actively supported Ukraine by raising donations to buy supplies and, on several occasions, delivering them herself.

Leila Josefowicz’s passionate advocacy of contemporary music for the violin is reflected in her diverse programs and enthusiasm for performing new works. A favorite of living composers, Josefowicz has premiered many concertos, including those by Colin Matthews, Luca Francesconi, John Adams, and Esa-Pekka Salonen, all written especially for her.

Josefowicz’s 2024–25 season includes performances of Luca Francesconi’s Duende: The Dark Notes with New York Philharmonic and Susanna Malkki, and the British premiere of Helen Grime’s Violin Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Sakari Oramo at the Aldeburgh Festival.  Further engagements include London Symphony Orchestra, Gulbenkian Orchestra, and Houston, San Diego, KBS, Singapore, and City of Birmingham symphony orchestras. Highlights of recent seasons include appearances with Berliner Philharmoniker, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Royal Concertgebouworkest, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, London and Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestras, NDR Elbphilharmonie, Chicago, San Francisco, The Cleveland, and The Philadelphia orchestras, where she worked with conductors at the highest level, including Paavo Järvi, Matthias Pintscher, John Storgårds, Cristian Măcelaru, Thomas Søndergård, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Dalia Stasevska, Hannu Lintu, and John Adams.

Josefowicz has released several recordings, notably for Deutsche Grammophon, Philips/Universal, and Warner Classics, previously receiving nominations for Grammy Awards for her recordings of Scheherazade.2 with St. Louis Symphony, conducted by David Robertson, and Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Violin Concerto with Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by the composer.

In recognition of her outstanding achievement and excellence in music, she won the 2018 Avery Fisher Prize and was awarded a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship in 2008, joining prominent scientists, writers, and musicians who have made unique contributions to contemporary life.