On 25 September, Nicolas Altstaedt opens his tenure as Artist in Association with the Tapiola Sinfonietta in Espoo in a concert that explores rituals of loss through works by Purcell, Birtwistle, Shostakovich, and Schubert, blending dramatic visual design with musical introspection. This concert marks the start of a three-year collaboration with the orchestra, which will include a range of performances and artistic initiatives.

Other early-season highlights include Altstaedt’s recent debut with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, where his interpretation of Schumann’s Cello Concerto was praised as ​“exhilarating and alive” (Seen and Heard International), and the Portuguese premiere of Liza Lim’s A Sutured World, following the July 2025 release of the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks’s recording of the work on BR-Klassik. The album, which captures the world premiere performance conducted by Edward Gardner in October 2024, is receiving rapt attention in the musical press and further cements Altstaedt’s reputation as a champion of contemporary repertoire.