The famous Finnish pianist Laura Mikkola plays Beethoven’s music in Jyväskylä

The Finnish pianist Laura Mikkola plays Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in Sinfonia Finlandia Jyväskylä’s concert Natural touch conducted by Martin Fischer-Dieskau from Taipei Symphony Orchestra in Jyväskylä City Theatre on Wednesday 4th of February at 7 pm.

Ms Laura Mikkola and the conductor Martin Fischer-Dieskau from Taipei Symphony Orchestra

Orchestra plays also Robert Schumann’s Second Symphony and Rumanian composer Adrian Pop’s piece Triptych. The conductor Martin Fischer-Dieskau from Taipei Symphony Orchestra will be the conductor of this interesting concert, which begins in Jyväskylä City Theatre on Wednesday 4th of February at 7 pm.

Laura Mikkola has been the recipient of many awards, including second prize in the prestigious Queen Elisabeth International Piano Competition of Brussels, and with the prize of the public, 1995; first prize in the International Unisa Transnet Piano Competition in Pretoria, Republic of South Africa, 1994; first prize in the Maj Lind Competition in Helsinki, 1992; and first prize in the International M. Ravel Piano Competition in France, 1988. She was awarded the Finland prize for Young Artist, 1995.
Laura Mikkola’s Suntory Hall debut, Tokyo, was in 1995, Carnegie Hall debut (Weill Recital Hall, New York) was in 1996, her Hollywood Bowl debut with Maestro Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1997, Kennedy Center debut with the Washington National Symphony Orchestra in 2002 (Washington D.C) and her debut with Radio Sinfonie Orchester Franfurt in 2005.
Since 2003 she has been the artistic director of Iitti Music Festival (Finland).

Martin Fischer-Dieskau is the son of the famous baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and the cellist Irmgard Poppen. In 1978 Martin Fischer-Dieskau became assistant conductor with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra under Antal Dorati. After this period he returned to Europe and was working at various opera houses. Martin Fischer-Dieskau has conducted all renowned British orchestras, NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo and the Berlin Philharmonic. From 2001 until 2004 he was chief conductor of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra in Canada. In 2006 and 2007 Martin Fischer-Dieskau followed reinvitations to Israel, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and the USA.

Martin Fischer-Dieskau became acquainted with the distinguished classical music culture of Asia by conducting and teaching as associate professor at NTNU University in Taipei. The musicians of the Taipei Symphony orchestra appointed him their conductor in 2008.

Ludwig van Beethoven's Concerto No. 2 for piano and orchestra is in fact his first piano concerto. When his first two concertos (both composed in 1795) were printed they were given false numbers. In Concerto No. 2 we can hear the strength and energy of the young and furious Beethoven although the overall look of this work is very classical. Robert Schumann wrote about his Symphony No. 2: "I sketched it when I was still physically very ill; yes I may say that my symphony reflects the struggle of my spirit against my mental situation. Schumann also had mental symptoms when he composed this work. The opening number of this concert will be Triptych for orchestra by the Rumanian composer Adrian Pop (s. 1951).