Finnish conductor makes her debut in Dresden

Finnish conductor Susanna Mälkki makes her debut with the Staatskapelle Dresden this Sunday. The 55-year-old is regarded as one of the leading artists in the profession. As the Staatskapelle announced on Thursday, the program includes Schubert's C major Symphony as well as a world premiere. As this season's "Capell Compositeur" - an honorary title of the 475-year-old Dresden orchestra - Georg Friedrich Haas has written a piece especially for the Staatskapelle's anniversary season.

"In "I don't know how to cry", Haas works with musical contrasts: Densely woven sound surfaces, so-called clusters, contrast with radiant major triads. Working with microtones - tiny deviations from traditional tuning - creates shades and compelling sound effects beyond consonance and dissonance that invite you to an incomparable listening experience," the announcement said.

Mälkki was Chief Conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra from 2016 to 2023 and Principal Guest Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic from 2017 to 2022. She is also considered a specialist in contemporary music. The concert on Sunday will be followed by two further performances on Monday and Tuesday.