400 Years of the House of Nobility: En saga The sounds of the grand duchy -- Sibelius and his companions Romberg--Crusell--Sibelius Pauliina Fred, flute Lorenzo Coppola, clarinet FiBO Players: Antti Tikkanen, violin Irma Niskanen, violin Hanna Pakkala, viola Jussi Seppänen, cello
400 Years of the House of Nobility: En saga The sounds of the grand duchy -- Sibelius and his companions Romberg--Crusell--Sibelius Pauliina Fred, flute Lorenzo Coppola, clarinet FiBO Players: Antti Tikkanen, violin Irma Niskanen, violin Hanna Pakkala, viola Jussi Seppänen, cello Petri Ainali, double bass Irma Niskanen, programme planning The 400th anniversary of the institution behind the House of Nobility continues, as we move on from the jubilee concert in May, which featured music from the 17th and 18th centuries, to the 19th century, the century when the House of Nobility was built. The Swedish House of Nobility was founded in 1626, 400 years ago. The founding of the Finnish House of Nobility became a topical issue during Russian rule, and the neo-Gothic House of Nobility was completed in 1862. What was performed in Finnish concert halls before Sibelius? Of the many Finnish composers, Bernhard Henrik Crusell, the great son of Uusikaupunki, was the most well known, both to his contemporaries and to us. Of course, the Central European repertoire was also performed in the Grand Duchy. A fascinating rarity in FiBO's concert is the reconstruction of the early septet version of En saga by the young Jean Sibelius. The German cello virtuoso Bernhard Romberg (1767--1841) toured Europe as far as the Russian Empire. His symphonies were also performed in Helsinki at concerts of the Academic Music Society. Romberg's Divertimento over a Finnish melody (1817) is lush music from the borderlands between classicism and romanticism. Crusell (1775--1838) did his most important life's work in Stockholm, but even in a letter he wrote to Johan Ludvig Runeberg later in life, he still saw himself as a Finn. Crusell honed his clarinet playing with top international names in Berlin and Paris. During his travels, he met Meyerbeer, Weber and Mendelssohn, and he was still a member of the Royal Court Orchestra in Stockholm when Fredrik Pacius began his career as a violinist in the orchestra. Crusell's Clarinet Quartet in D major Op. 7 (1823) was one of his own favourite works. Sibelius's (1865--1957) En saga is one of the works from his early Symbolist period. Sibelius wrote the chamber work from 1891 onwards in Vienna. In late 1892, he rewrote the music for orchestra, and the American clarinetist Gregory Barrett reconstructed the septet version from the orchestral version. Sibelius characterised the mysteriously enchanting work as profoundly Finnish. Duration: 1 h 45 min (incl. intermission) Music journalist Risto Nordell will introduce the concert at the House of Nobility from 6 pm to 6.30 pm. What the Walls Can Tell Us -- Walking Tour in Kruununhaka To mark the anniversary of the House of Nobility, those who are so inclined can join a walking tour of Kruununhaka with the city guide and non-fiction writer Juhani Styrman. The walking tour, which starts at 5 pm in front of the House of Nobility, serves as an introduction to the music while exploring the similarities of architecture and music and examining the small details of the quarters, all part of the melody and harmony of architecture. The duration of the walking tour What the Walls Can Tell Us is about 50 minutes. The route is accessible. The walking tour is in Finnish. The walking tour is free for everyone with a concert ticket and costs 15 euros for those without. A limited amount of participants can join the tour. To register, please make your binding booking here. We will charge 15 euros for no-shows if prior notice is not given. The House of Nobility is not fully accessible. There are steps at the entrance, and access from the lobby to the assembly hall, which serves as a concert venue on the second floor, is via stairs. The accessible entrance is located at Hallituskatu 2 B. The doorman will open the door upon request. Please call him when you are at the door at +358 50 395 2349. An accessible restroom is available on the second floor, next to the concert café area.
Fibo performs live in Helsinki, Finland on Thursday, September 17, 2026 at RITARIHUONE. Doors typically open 60–90 minutes before showtime. Official tickets are available below — buy only from verified sources to avoid resale fraud.
Setlists shift across the tour. Fibo tours usually run 90–120 minutes including encore. Check setlist.fm right before the show for the most recent show's order.
