Nordic Soundscapes

There’s more to Nordic music than Grieg, Sibelius and Nielsen…but they’re a good place to start. This playlist also includes folk music and music from the Sámi people, Europe’s only indigenous tribe and guardians of its oldest continuing musical tradition. We hear from the new, female-led generation of composers who are transforming the sound of the symphony orchestra in the Nordic region’s image. The opening track, The Oceanides by Sibelius, opens the Philharmonia’s concert on 29 September 2024. It celebrates the majesty, beauty and treacherous dangers of the sea - a warning, perhaps too late, that however inspiring we find nature, we are at its mercy. This playlist was curated by Andrew Mellor who is the Editorial Consultant for Nordic Soundscapes and author of The Northern Silence - Journeys in Nordic Music and Culture (Yale University Press).