Zelo

published by Fennica Gehrman

commissioned by London Philharmonic Orchestra

premiere March 25, 2026, London Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Robin Ticciati

1. Introduction

2. Cradling

3. Zelo

4. Lamento (del vento) In the wind I find my fire-place, in the rain I find my sauna – Tuulessa tulisijani, satehessa saunan löyly

5. Epilogue

The work is inspired by Jean Sibelius’s Kullervo Symphony (1892). The quote in the title of the 4th movement is from Kullervo legend in Kalevala, the Finnish national epic (English translation W.F. Kirby 1907).

“In Zelo, Wennäkoski has created something rare: a work that respects its ancestry while sounding like nothing else in the contemporary world. It is a vivid, subterranean journey toward Finland’s musical future, saturated in its mysterious, mythical past.” (Alexander Verney-Elliott, Seen and Heard International, March 30th 2026)

https://seenandheard-international.com/2026/03/a-pair-of-nines-tan-dun-high-stakes-and-beethoven-safe-bet-gambled-at-the-royal-festival-hall/

“Her music is not without energy, drive or force – nor is it without an element of poetry either. There is a skilful use of brass and percussion (including a piano) and solos for flute and violin are beautifully effective where these would be taken by the bass and soprano in Kullervo itself.” (Marc Bridle, March 31, 2026, Opera Today)

https://operatoday.com/2026/03/voices-from-finland-wennakoski-and-sibelius/era

The Reviews Hub:

https://www.thereviewshub.com/lpo-voices-from-finland-southbank-centre-london/