In a brief note on her final composition, Kaija Saariaho (1952–2023) had this to say: ”HUSH is written for the trumpet player Verneri Pohjola, whose rich musical background and taste for extended techniques, exper­i­men­tation, and impro­vi­sation have inspired me. During the writing of this piece, we have met on a regular basis, and Verneri has enlightened me as to the technical possi­bil­ities of the trumpet. Each concerto is in a way a portrait of the soloist for whom it was written, and so this one is his.” But many listeners heard HUSH also as a poignant and profound self-portrait of the composer as she battled terminal glioblastoma, a journey into silence. The soloist for the Reykjavík premiere of HUSH by the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra is once again Verneri Pohjola. Jan Söderblom, who is the concertmaster of the Helsinki Symphony Orchestra, conducts—returning after the intermission to lead Brahms’s consoling Symphony No. 2 from the first desk in the violin section. —Matthew Gurewitsch