It was wonderful to be in Helsinki for the Finnish premiere of the cello concerto with the Helsinki Philharmonic and Johannes Moser, conducted by Jukka-Pekka Saraste. A video of the performance is available on-demand:

Warm words in Hufvudstadsbladet and Helsingin Sanomat:

“With every new work by Anna Thorvaldsdottir that I hear, I become more and more convinced that she is one of the most important compositional voices of our time … [e]ach new work is an adventure.” – Mats Liljeroos, Hufvudstadsbladet

“Before we fall is fundamentally a deeply elegiac work, in which the violently expressive solo cello, sometimes at the fore and sometimes integrated into the orchestral sound, alternates between mournful song and rage in rapid passages. … [T]he congenially crafted solo part, which successfully explores the instrument’s resources across its entire emotional and sonic range, was interpreted with all conceivable finesse, insight, and precision by Johannes Moser – the commissioner of the work, who at times seemed to embody his part rather than merely interpret it. – Mats Liljeroos, Hufvudstadsbladet

“Thorvaldsdottir is considered one of the most original orchestral composers of our time. Following the soloist's journey through the dark-hued, rumbling, and growling orchestral lava flow of the cello concerto Before We Fall, anyone in the audience could hear why.” – Hannu-Ilari Lampila, Helsingin Sanomat

Conducted by Jukka-Pekka Saraste, the Helsinki Philharmonic built a dense, magically captivating soundscape of gradually transforming harmonic cells, teeming like its own organic ecosystem.” – Hannu-Ilari Lampila, Helsingin Sanomat