Göteborgs Konserthus Beyond Words with Kuusisto and Barruk

The Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra welcomes Sámi singer Katarina Barruk in a concert about the power of language. With incredible stage presence, she combines folk tunes and pop in symphonic dress. A collaboration that also takes them to the BBC Proms this year.

Pekka Kuusisto also leads the orchestra in Sibelius’ versatile Symphony No. 5.

When Sibelius completed his Fifth Symphony, with enormous anguish, the world was changing. World War I was raging, cities were growing quickly and this new modernism required more of an artist than just lyrics. In the symphony, we hear a composer attempting to build a new form of expression, a synthesis of the traditional, rural way of life and the pulse of the city. “I hear a suggestion of a child learning a language at the very beginning of the symphony, folk dances in the middle movement, a relentless accelerando of a very big machine spinning out of control at the end of the first movement.” , says conductor Pekka Kuusisto.

Language and expression are also in focus for singer and songwriter Katarina Barruk. With incredible stage presence, she sings in her native Ume Sámi, a language that she is fighting to preserve. Together with Principal Guest Conductor Pekka Kuusisto this evening, she creates a blend of folk tunes and pop in symphonic dress. In the second act, her songs are interwoven with heartfelt masterpieces for strings. Where words cease, the music expands.

“Katarina’s songs are, in fact, an act of saving a language, and the kind of fear many must have felt for their culture and lifestyle in the face of the technological advances a hundred years ago (and what many of us feel now at the advent of new technologies) pales in comparison to the threat the Sámi people have faced – and are facing. For a long time, the Nordic countries have let the Sámis down, and we are still doing so. Having Katarina with us is an honour, a great musical adventure, as well as a possibility to reflect on our own motivations and choices” – Pekka Kuusisto.

World-renowned Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto is the new Principal Guest Conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra for the 2025–2026 season. As a violinist, he has become known as a charismatic and genre-crossing musician who offers audiences something extraordinary from the podium.

Introduction to the concert

Take a seat in the Great Hall one hour before the concert begins and learn more about the music you will soon experience! You will get the stories behind the music, knowledge of the composers and own reflections about the classical pieces. The introduction last for about 30 minutes, it is free and free seating in the hall. Welcome!