Twenty years ago, Lahti Symphony Orchestra was just a local city orchestra. Launching a recording partnership with the Swedish BIS Records marked the first steps towards international fame. The success of the recordings of the works of Jean Sibelius were a sign of things to come, and after winning numerous music awards (such as the Grand Prix du Disque in 1993, the Gramophone Award in 1991 and 1996, and the Cannes Classical Award in 1997 and 2001), the orchestra found itself performing in international arenas as well.

The first major tour took the orchestra to Japan in 1999, where the local critics acclaimed it the best orchestra to perform in Japan that year. The same year, the orchestra also made a successful debut at the Avery Fisher Hall in New York. The latest tour took place in China.

For over a decade, the resident musicians of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra have visited local schools and nurseries to inspire children to make music. This project has become one of the focal points of the orchestra’s activities.

The Lahti Symphony Orchestra’s Symphonically Together collaboration with enterprises has produced new marketing models and turned sponsorships into real partnerships that have helped to deepen the relationships of the businesses as well.

Jaakko Kuusisto, Concert Master