Northern Lights

Details

The celestial phenomenon of the Northern Lights is front and center in this journey through music, color, and light. Known for music that “fashions a fascinating mosaic of sonorities” (Strad Magazine), California composer and Swedish emigré Mika Pelo contributes a world premiere for chamber ensemble. Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho creates richly textured tapestries of orchestral color, using live electronics to extend the palettes of the acoustic instruments in her iridescent Lichtbogen (Bows of Light). Jesper Nordin’s Surfaces Scintillantes adds a bit of shimmer and sparkle to this out-of-this-world musical event. Jubilees creates a celebration of sound with an illumination and refraction in this piece from Finland’s Magnus Lindberg. With cosmic lighting effects shining throughout the concert, be part of this immersive experience that dazzles the eyes, ears, and soul.

Jesper Nordin - Surfaces scintillantes (2007) - U.S. premiere

Kaija Saariaho - Lichtbogen (1985-86)

Mika Pelo - Working from a Postcard (2025) - world premiere (SFCMP commission)

Magnus Lindberg - Jubilees (2002) - U.S. premiere

Supported in part by a generous grant from the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation