Announcing our 2026 Festival
Diamonds in the Snow: The Musical Gems of Finland
Approximately 5.6 million people call Finland home, roughly the same population as the states of Minnesoata or South Carolina. Yet despite its relatively small population, Finland has produced some of the 20th and 21st centuries’ most important classical musicians, including Jean Sibelius, Kaija Saariaho, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Klaus Mäkelä, Magnus Lindberg, and Susanna Mälkki. Innumerable other lesser-known but equally remarkable composers called Finland home, including Selim Palmgren, Helvi Leiviskä, Aarre Merikanto, and Leivi Madetoja.
How can a country with such a small population produce so much excellence in classical music? The 2026 Epiphany Festival is dedicated to investigating the remarkable musical story of Finland through its people and its music. Across three performances at Westmoreland United Church of Christ in Bethesda and three salon concerts, we will hear the very best of Finnish music over the past 150 years, and learn more about their culture and history.
We encourage you to read more about our three Westmoreland performances below, where you will also have an opportunity to purchase tickets for these events. Our festival runs in late January and early February of 2026.
Performance #1: January 24th at 7:30 p.m.
Epiphany Festival Chamber Orchestra with Laura Choi Stuart, soprano
Our festival begins with a thrilling program of music by three of the most prominent Finnish composers: Esa-Pekka Salonen, Kaija Saariaho, and Jean Sibelius. Each of the selected works on the program represents artists at the very edge: Esa-Pekka Salonen’s virtuosic Mania features breathless passages for the solo cellist. Kaija Saariaho’s Quatre Instants showcases associate artistic director Laura Choi Stuart at the peak of her abilities, but also represents Saariaho writing with the same style as she would in L’amour de Loin, the opera that solidified her international reputation. Sibelius’ final symphony, presented here in a chamber orchestration, was the composer’s ultimate contribution to the genre that defined him as a composer.
Performance #2: January 31st at 7:30 p.m.
An Evening of Song and Chamber Music with Collin Power, Amanda Densmoor, and Lewis Gilmore
Our annual presentation of a concert featuring works for voice and piano alongside chamber music continues with contributions from Collin Power, Amanda Densmoor, and Lewis Gilmore. A rich tapestry of works will illuminate the story of Finnish music and poetry. The evening includes works by Jean Sibelius, Leevi Madetoja, and many others, with works ranging from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 21st.
Performance #3: February 1st at 4:00 p.m.
The Epiphany Festival Chorus presents Einojuhani Rautavaara’s Vigilia
Our 2026 festival concludes with the work that served as a catalyst for our exploration of Finnish music: Einojuhani Rautavaara’s entrancing all a cappella choral masterwork, Vigilia. Rautavaara takes the listener on a journey through the Orthodox All-Night Vigil by using the choir in profound and unexpected ways. Rautavaara’s contribution to the genre of Orthodox choral music stands alongside such masters as Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, Grechaninov, and Kastalsky as an original, enlightening entry that has amassed a following across the world.