RAVEL Le Tombeau de Couperin
SALONEN Cello Concerto
SIBELIUS Symphony No. 5

Salonen leads a shimmering performance of Ravel’s exquisitely French Le Tombeau de Couperin; his own demanding and evocative Cello Concerto, brought to life by Senja Rummukainen; and Sibelius’s Symphony No. 5, a visionary work forged in struggle. In conversation, Salonen speaks of the divergent demands of his musical life: the collectivism of conducting vs. the contemplative isolation of composition. As Rummukainen talks about playing contemporary work, the composer shares the genesis of his concerto—a story involving a late night with Yo-Yo Ma. Salonen also reflects on a new generation of artists, including the rising Finnish cellist, in whose hands he believes the future of the art form is secure.