Finnish works for violin and orchestra

This recording explores the emotional depth, diversity, and creativity of Finnish concert works for violin and orchestra. The pieces showcase the nation's 20th-century music, in which mysticism, modernism, folklore, and a spirit of experimentation coexisted. Significant figures such as Selim Palmgren and Aarre Merikanto are represented, as is the enchanting film music of Einar Englund, who wrote under a pseudonym. Distinctive works by Väinö Haapalainen, Väinö Raitio, and Nils-Eric Fougstedt round out the program. Linda Hedlund studied violin at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, as well as baroque violin at the Novia University of Applied Sciences. As a soloist and chamber musician, Hedlund performs internationally, including with La Tempesta, Les Solistes de Monte Carlo, and the Lohja City Orchestra, as well as at many renowned festivals throughout Europe and at Carnegie Hall in New York. Her performances have been broadcast on radio and television worldwide. In addition to her career as a concert musician, she is also active as a teacher and has given masterclasses at institutions all over the world. In 2006, she founded the annual Emäsalo Music Festival.