Salonen conducts Sibelius and Julliard Orch, Roozeman on Cello

Last evening Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen (b Finland 1958) led the combined Sibelius Acad Symphony & Julliard Orchestras at Alice Tully Hall.  Guest cellist Jonathan Roozeman (b Finland 1997) played exquisitely on Salanen's own composition "Mania."  I find it interesting to hear musical compositions by artists known for conducting.  "Mania" is a seductive & complex piece that continuously builds tonal layers without pause. I found it exciting but not frenzied as the title might suggest.  The orchestration relied heavily on strings & a robust percussive section.  The vibraphone laid a stirring underlying tintinnabulation.  The virtuosity of the piece came from the cello solo which flared with gusto in multiple modes.  Roozeman's interpretation of "Mania" was magnificent.  Conductor Salonen was very pleased with Roozeman's performance.  He left the stage allowing him to play an encore piece after a rousing round of applause.  Unfortunately, I didn't know the composer of the marvelous encore performed by Roozeman.  Neither could I find the answer although I inquired.  The Sibelius Symphony performed Jean Sibelius' (b Finland 1865-1957) Lemminkainen Suite after the intermission.  Perhaps, the solo was a composition by Sibelius or Salonen.  However, I'm not sure.  The first composition on the program was "Radical Light" by Steven Stucky (b Amer 1949-2016) so it wasn't an entire Finnish based program.  This was my first time hearing "Radical Light" and I was delighted by its subtle sounds to begin & end.  The main body of the work was filled with whimsy and robust energy.  It would serve well as a score to majestic scene in a film.  The work was jubilant and the combination of Julliard students with members of the Sibelius Symphony Orch in Alice Tully Hall highlights the talent & opportunities afforded the Julliard students.