Nordic Soundscapes brings music from Finland and Norway to Orchestra Hall, with Jean Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2 and Edvard Grieg’s Norwegian Dances among the featured works. Conductors Thomas Søndergård and Osmo Vänskä lead programs across the festival.
Finnish composer Jean Sibelius on the program
A Finnish voice anchors the opening weekend: the Minnesota Orchestra performs Jean Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2 as part of Nordic Soundscapes. The program pairs it with Edvard Grieg’s Norwegian Dances and Swedish composer Anders Hillborg’s Piano Concerto No. 2, nicknamed the MAX Concerto. Music Director Thomas Søndergård conducts, with pianist Jon Kimura Parker featured in Hillborg’s concerto. Sibelius’ symphony was written in the early 1900s, giving the concert a work from the period when Finland was developing a distinct national musical identity. The program places it alongside music from other Nordic countries and a contemporary concerto, so listeners encounter more than one era and style in the same evening.
Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg represented by Norwegian Dances
Norway’s musical tradition enters the program through selections from Edvard Grieg’s Norwegian Dances. Grieg is one of Norway’s best-known composers, and the work’s title points directly to the dance forms that inspired it. The selections appear alongside Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2 and Hillborg’s MAX Concerto in the concerts led by Thomas Søndergård on November 6 and 7. That mix sets a Norwegian work beside Finnish and Swedish music in a single orchestral program. The concert is part of the wider Nordic Soundscapes festival, which brings several Nordic composers and musical traditions to Orchestra Hall across a series of performances.
Conductors Thomas Søndergård and Osmo Vänskä bring Nordic ties to the festival
Two conductors with roots in Nordic countries lead different parts of the festival. Thomas Søndergård, the Minnesota Orchestra’s music director, conducts the November 6 and 7 concerts featuring Grieg, Hillborg, and Sibelius. Osmo Vänskä, the orchestra’s conductor laureate and a Finn, returns to conduct the November 13 and 14 program. That later program includes Finnish composer Outi Tarkiainen’s Song of the Ice, Finnish violinist and composer Jaakko Kuusisto’s Violin Concerto, and Danish composer Carl Nielsen’s Symphony No. 6; violinist Stella Chen is the soloist for Kuusisto’s concerto. Their different programs give the festival a broader Nordic scope while keeping Finnish music at its heart.
A Nordic marketplace and partner experiences extend the festival beyond the music
The festival experience reaches beyond the concert program. Visitors are invited to come early for performances and activities from Nordic partner organizations, and the Nordic Soundscapes Marketplace features food, traditional Nordic beverages, goods, and a festive lounge space. The listing names Krown Bakery, Ingebretsen’s, and the American Swedish Institute among the partners. These offerings give guests a chance to encounter Nordic food and cultural organizations at Orchestra Hall as part of the festival visit. The festival runs November 6 through 14, 2026, with concerts and related experiences across the dates. Marketplace offerings and pre-concert activities may differ by day, so visitors can check the event details for the specific performance they plan to attend.
