Avanti! Chamber Orchestra

Finnish music doesn't begin and end with Sibelius, and this dynamic ensemble out of Helsinki sets out to prove it in two Zankel Hall concerts. On Wed 30, the group performs a pair of works by Carnegie composer-in-residence Kaija Saariaho—the disconcerting Nymphéa and the world premiere of a suite from her opera Émilie—plus music by Lotta Wennäkoski and Jukka Tiensuu. The program on Dec 1 highlights the little-known genre of Finnish tango. Yes, we're curious about that too.