It was a fateful September in 1983 when Esa-Pekka Salonen received a call from his agent saying the Philharmonia Orchestra needed someone to replace conductor Michael Tilson Thomas at the last minute, performing Mahler's Third Symphony in London. He said yes and the rest is history. Hear the story from the Philharmonia's now Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor, Esa-Pekka Salonen, who took a moment out of his busy schedule this summer to share the ups and downs of that fateful decision and his enduring relationship with the Philharmonia Orchestra.

Salonen conducts Mahler's Third Symphony on Sunday 1 October 2017 at Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London: https://www.philharmonia.co.uk/concerts/1714

Icelandic composer, Daníel Bjarnason, has written a violin concerto for the Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto. In this film, the Philharmonia Orchestra met Pekka in Finland to get his thoughts on the new piece. The concerto is full of special violin techniques and pushes technical boundaries for the soloist and the orchestra. Watch to find out more and hear clips with the Pekka and the Philharmonia in rehearsal with Esa-Pekka Salonen.

Pekka Kuusisto performs the UK premiere of Daníel Bjarnason's Violin Concerto at the Philharmonia Orchestra's season opening concert on Thursday 28 September, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London. Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor. The concert also includes Sibelius Symphonies 6 & 7 and Anna Thorvaldsdottir's Aeriality.

FIND OUT MORE: https://www.philharmonia.co.uk/concerts/1712

Daníel Bjarnason's Violin Concerto was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel Music & Artistic Director and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra.