Opening Weekend: LEAD! Saraste & Cargill

TMF offers you an evening where classical music masterpieces meet storytelling and top-class performances. Conducted by Jukka-Pekka Saraste, mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill and the Fiskars Festival Orchestra will create a thrilling experience at the Turku Concert Hall. The young conductor of the LEAD! Foundation master class 2026 will also shine on stage. The conductor will be announced during the summer of 2026.

The concert opens with Beethoven’s Egmont Overture, whose dramatic arc takes us from the shadows of battle to the light of victory. This is followed by Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder, an intimate and emotional song cycle featuring harmonic experiments that foreshadow the world of Tristan. Outi Tarkiainen’s The Ring of Fire and Love depicts the transformative power of life through themes of nature and humanity characteristic of the composer. The evening concludes with Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7, a symphonic masterpiece full of dark tones, passion, and heroic power.

The evening as a whole builds a strong emotional arc: from Beethoven’s dramatic tension to Wagner’s sensitivity and inner longing. The energetic and life-affirming power of Tarkiainen’s work is stirring, and Dvořák’s symphony lifts us towards light and a liberating climax. The atmosphere is intense, glowing and deeply human.

This concert offers you a unique journey into the world of four composers, from the classics to the present day. The orchestra conducted by Saraste and Cargill’s expressive voice are sure to make the evening an experience that offers something for everyone. Seize the opportunity and let the music carry you away.