New release marks a major new Sibelius recording project for Osmo Vänskä

17 January 2012

Almost fifteen years after recording a landmark Sibelius cycle with the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, described by Gramophone magazine as “the finest survey of the past three decades” and praised for its fresh approach, Osmo Vänskä returns to his compatriot’s seven symphonies in a major new recording project – this time featuring his Minnesota Orchestra.

Music Director since 2003, Vänskä has made a number of recordings with the Minnesota Orchestra on the Swedish label BIS, including a Gramophone Award-nominated and Grammy Award-winning cycle of Beethoven Symphonies, and critically acclaimed discs of works by Tchaikovsky and Bruckner.

In 2010 Vänskä conducted the London Philharmonic Orchestra – with whom he works every season – in a major Sibelius project which received multiple five star reviews from UK press.

The first disc – featuring the Second and Fifth Symphonies – has just been released. The next instalment will be recorded in May and June at Orchestra Hall, and will include the First and Fourth Symphonies. The cycle is due for completion in 2015, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth which the orchestra and conductor intend to mark with prestigious concerts at home and on tour. 

The disc is available to buy from the Minnesota Orchestra's website. Click here for more information.