70 Years of Culture and Enrichment – Jyväskylän Kesä and the Jyväskylä Symphony Orchestra Celebrate Together at the Opening Concert!

This summer marks the 70th anniversary of Jyväskylän Kesä, the oldest continuously running cultural festival in the Nordic countries. The theme of this year’s festival, which creatively combines art and science, is culture. The festive mood will kick off right at the opening concert, as the Jyväskylä Symphony Orchestra, which is also celebrating its 70th anniversary, takes the stage.

“Our anniversary year has been in preparation for several years, and it is exciting to finally be able to present our year of culture. Our opening day program strongly reflects our long history, and celebrating our 70th anniversary together with the Jyväskylä Sinfonia is a great pleasure for us.” tunnelmoi festivaalijohtaja Kyösti Ylikulju.

From the very beginning, Jyväskylän Kesä has been a forum for bold thinking, culture, and discussion, and the opening concert continues this tradition by bringing together the past, the present, and the future. This unique joint concert will feature an internationally acclaimed pianist as both soloist and conductor Olli Mustonen, who composed Triptych open the evening. In addition, we will hear the 90th anniversary celebration of Aulis Sallinen new work From the shadows, the songs of the early, which is a commissioned work by four Finnish orchestras. The concert concludes with Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral”, a masterpiece inspired by nature, which transports the listener to a summer landscape amidst flowing streams, birdsong, and a festive atmosphere.

The joint 70th-anniversary concert by Jyväskylän Kesän and the Jyväskylä Symphony Orchestra will take place in the Encore Hall at the Jyväskylä Pavilion on Wednesday, July 2, at 6 p.m. Tickets go on sale on Friday, February 14, at 10 a.m. at https://www.lippu.fi/artist/jyvaeskylae-sinfonia/jyvaeskylaen-kesae-jyvaeskylae-sinfonia-70v-3831957/

Last year, Jyväskylän Kesä attracted a record number of visitors—over 40,000. The festival has been breaking its own records in recent years anyway—so this summer there are plenty of reasons to celebrate.

Jyväskylän Kesä takes place July 2–8. This unique and highly regarded multidisciplinary event features annual offerings such as concerts, dance performances, films, discussions, workshops, and the hugely popular Puistojuhlat park festival.