Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts the San Francisco Symphony in Igor Stravinsky’s turbulent Symphony in Three Movements. Tautly concentrated, the Symphony in Three Movements reflects the rampant destruction in Europe and Asia during World War II. 

Composed during a time of heightened political tensions as the Russian hold on Finland was growing tighter, Sibelius’s stirring Finlandia struck home like a thunderbolt. Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts the San Francisco Symphony in Sibelius’s anthem for a nascent nation.

SF Symphony Principal Cello Rainer Eudeikis takes center stage in Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Cello Concerto, led by the composer. Premiered in 2016, the piece is filled with rich colors and rhythms, including conga and bongo drums and electronic loops.

The seven full-scale symphonies composed by Sibelius stake his place as one of the most imposing symphonists of the 20th century. Sibelius’s First Symphony—his international breakthrough—is performed here by Esa-Pekka Salonen and the San Francisco Symphony.