Jyväskylä Sinfonia’s autumn season debut interrupted by technical issues in Jyväskylä

Jyväskylä Sinfonia kicked off its autumn season with an inaugural concert on Thursday held at the Jyväskylä Pavilion. This performance marked the debut of the new chief conductor Lorenzo Passerini. However, the concert faced interruptions on two occasions. Passerini mentioned that these disruptions made it challenging for the orchestra to maintain focus, yet they managed to regroup. “This is life. The hall and technical systems are new. I believe we played fantastically and the audience was excited,” said Passerini.

Among the attendees was 15-year-old Ruska Pernu, who witnessed pianist Saskia Giorgini leave the stage during Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto. “She first signaled to the conductor to stop, then turned to the audience to apologize in English. We were informed that the pianist needed to eat something to raise her blood sugar levels,” Pernu recounted. Symphony manager Emma Anttila confirmed that Giorgini was briefly unwell but recovered during the intermission, completing a stunning performance of Beethoven’s concerto.

After the break, the concert was again interrupted by loud booming sounds from the speakers. “Initially, I thought it was a special effect used for the percussion instruments that were heavily featured in the piece,” Pernu said. Erika Airaksinen, a piano teacher who attended with her students, commended the orchestra’s professionalism in handling the unexpected situations. “The audience supported the orchestra, clapping encouragingly, and the atmosphere was good,” she noted.

Investigations are ongoing to determine the causes of the technical issues, with initial assessments suggesting that the disruptive background noises were due to a faulty speaker. “This was a shock to all of us,” Anttila admitted. She expressed hope that the sound system would be fixed by Monday, in time for the new conductor to lead the next rehearsal. The Jyväskylä Sinfonia has recently been equipped with the Encore Hall at the Pavilion, renovated at a cost of 7.5 million euros, featuring an electronic Meyer Constellation acoustic system designed to adjust the room’s acoustics without moving walls. The venue is outfitted with 76 microphones and 210 speakers embedded in the walls and ceiling.