Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra to record James MacMillan’s A European Requiem
Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra will record Scottish composer Sir James MacMillan’s powerful choral work A European Requiem in October 2026. Chief Conductor Matthew Halls has a particularly close connection with the work, having conducted its world premiere in the United States in 2016.
The orchestra’s recording week, spanning the end of September and beginning of October, will culminate in a public concert in the Main Auditorium of Tampere Hall on Friday 2 October 2026. The concert will also be recorded. The performance marks the Finnish premiere of James MacMillan’s A European Requiem.
Joining the orchestra under Matthew Halls will be American countertenor Reginald Mobley, British bass-baritone Andrew Foster-Williams and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir.
A European Requiem is scored for countertenor or alto, baritone, mixed choir and orchestra. The approximately 43-minute work was commissioned and completed in 2015, and received its world premiere in the United States in July 2016, with Matthew Halls conducting the soloists, choir and orchestra. Conceived as a continuous musical structure, the work draws on the traditional Latin Requiem text. MacMillan has described Latin as a common European language dating from a time before national borders were established. Rather than commemorating a single individual, the Requiem is, according to the composer, a broader response to the experience of loss and the disappearance of a shared European cultural heritage. The work received its European premiere at the BBC Proms in London in 2017, conducted by Xian Zhang.
MacMillan’s music combines a profound Catholic spirituality and his Scottish roots with a distinctive contemporary musical language. His international breakthrough came with the orchestral work The Confession of Isobel Gowdie, premiered at the BBC Proms in 1990. Sir James is already a familiar figure in Tampere: he was Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra’s featured composer for the 2023/24 season and conducted the orchestra at Tampere Hall in May 2024.
Grammy-nominated countertenor Reginald Mobley is particularly renowned for his interpretations of Baroque and Classical repertoire, although his repertoire also extends to contemporary music. He has appeared with orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, as well as performing in Europe with ensembles such as the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists.
British bass-baritone Andrew Foster-Williams has built an extensive international career in both opera and concert repertoire. He has performed with ensembles including the Cleveland Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and London Philharmonic Orchestra. Foster-Williams has previously appeared with Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra and Matthew Halls in Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius.
Founded in 1981, the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir is one of Estonia’s most internationally renowned musical ensembles. The music of Arvo Pärt, Veljo Tormis and other Estonian composers holds a particularly prominent place in its repertoire, and the choir has made an extensive catalogue of internationally acclaimed and award-winning recordings. Its founder, Tõnu Kaljuste, is once again the choir’s Artistic Director.
Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra: A European Requiem
Friday 2 October 2026 at 7 pm
Main Auditorium, Tampere Hall
The public concert will be recorded.
