Tapiola Sinfonietta & John Storgårds
Biography Tapiola Sinfonietta & John Storgårds
Sharon Bezaly
was born in Israel, but lives presently in Sweden. Her virtuosity has drawn comparisons to David Oistrakh and Vladimir Horowitz. She has been an international star since 1997, when she began her solo flute career. She made her solo debut at 14 with Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic. Her flute was made by Muramatsu Flutes out of 24-karat gold.
Sharon Bezaly has appeared with leading symphony and chamber orchestras in Japan, China, Israel, Central and Western Europe, England, North and South America, Australia and Scandinavia. She has also performed at venues including the Vienna Musikverein, Châtelet in Paris, Tokyo's Suntory Hall, and at festivals with Gidon Kremer of the Bartók Quartet. In May 2006, she appeared at Orchestra Hall (Minneapolis) with Osmo Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra.
Sebastian Fagerlund
(b.1972) has established himself as one of the most prominent European composers of his generation. He studied composition at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki under the guidance of Erkki Jokinen and received his diploma in composition in 2004.
Important aspects of Fagerlund’s work are his interest in large-scale forms and a profound view of music expressing fundamental questions and existential experiences. Fagerlund was described in BBC Music Magazine as displaying ‘boundless technical resource at the service of a considerable imagination.’ A highly virtuosic instrumental feel and strong sense of musicianship is noticeable in all of his works, creating musical dramas in which powerful expression is combined with intensity and vivid communication, as well as an openness towards different musical traditions.
Works by Fagerlund have been commissioned and performed by numerous major orchestras, outstanding conductors and musicians all over the world. His output spans opera to chamber and solo works, the most significant pieces being his operas and works for orchestra. Performers of his works include the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, Buffalo Symphony Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and he has worked closely with conductors and musicians such as Dima Slobodeniouk, Anne Sofie von Otter, Edward Gardner, Hannu Lintu, Pekka Kuusisto, Sakari Oramo, Osmo Vänskä and John Storgårds. Fagerlund has been guest composer at numerous festivals around the world, such as Aspen Music Festival, Baltic Sea Festival and Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival.
In 2011 Fagerlund was awarded Finland’s renowned Teosto Prize, one of the largest music prizes in Scandinavia, for his orchestral work Ignite. The same year Ignite was also selected as a recommended work at the International Rostrum of Composers 2011 in Vienna. In season 2016/17 Fagerlund was appointed Composer in Residence at the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Holland. His opera Höstsonaten (Autumn Sonata) was premiered at the Finnish National Opera in season 2017/18 to great critical acclaim. The Financial Times described the opera as ‘Striking, Superb.’ In 2018 the recording of his Bassoon Concerto Mana received the BBC Music Magazine Awards in the Concerto Category.
Since 2013 Fagerlund has been artistic director of the RUSK Chamber Music Festival in Jakobstad, Finland. Fagerlund’s music is available on record label BIS.
