Chamber Symphonies Nos 1–3

Chamber Symphony No. 1 (1976);
Chamber Symphony No. 2 (1991–92);
Chamber Symphony No. 3 (1995–96) for alto saxophone and string orchestra

John-Edward Kelly (alto saxophone), Tapiola Sinfonietta,
Stefan Asbury (conductor, Nos 1 & 2),
Jean-Jacques Kantorow (conductor, No. 3)

• The Tapiola Sinfonietta here performs Kalevi Aho’s three chamber symphonies: three works that stretch the expressive capabilities of a string orchestra, and are thus highly demanding for the players.
• The solo alto saxophone part in Chamber Symphony No.3 was written for the soloist John-Edward Kelly who appears here. Aho describes the piece as ‘a hybrid of chamber symphony and saxophone concerto’.
• The Tapiola Sinfonietta has earned high praise from reviewers around the world for its recordings ranging from Arvo Pärt to Saint-Saëns and von Weber.
• The conductors Jean-Jacques Kantorow and Stefan Asbury are both close collaborators with the orchestra