OSU’s ‘Rhythm of Sibelius’ concert celebrates composer’s 150th birthday

The Orchestra of Southern Utah will celebrate the music and life of Jean Sibelius with their Nov. 12 concert, “The Rhythm of Sibelius,” at the Cedar City Heritage Theater. “Finlandia,” “Waltz Triste,” and Symphony No. 6 will be played in observation of his 150th birthday in December. Additionally, this concert will provide a unique opportunity to hear live music played on the pipa, an instrument that originated in China over 1,500 years ago.

Perhaps Sibelius’s most well-known work, “Finlandia,” was written in 1899 for a clandestine political protest. Living in an uncertain time in Finland’s history, Sibelius wrote the piece to depict the struggles of the Finnish people. The piece contains the “Finlandia Hymn,” a segment that was later taken as a standalone song with lyrics added in 1941. It has become one of the most important national songs in the country, and the melody has also been included in school songs, national anthems, and Christian hymns.

Symphony No. 6 has been described by Sibelius as offering “cold spring water” in reference to the relative simplicity that stood in contrast to some of the more elaborate pieces of his time. The piece had sentimental value to Sibelius and always reminded him “of the scent of the first snow.”

The Concerto for String Orchestra and Pipa, written by Chinese composer Tan Dun, will bring an uncommon element into our local concert hall. Xinwen Fu will perform on the pipa, using her talent to display the historical instrument’s range and emotion. This piece was written in 1999 and was an adaptation of a previous work about the tradition of Taoist funerals dating back 4,000 years in China. Tan describes the music as “a new counterpoint of different ages, different sound worlds and different cultures.”

The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the Cedar City Heritage Theater Box Office by calling (435) 865-2882 or online at heritagectr.org. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for students, and $30 for groups of up to six people. Because evening concerts are recorded, it is requested that babies and children under the age of six not attend. Children over the age of six are welcome at all OSU concerts with adult supervision. Contact Emily Hepworth for more information at (435) 233-8213 or emilyosucedarcity@gmail.com. For more information, visit myosu.org.