Conductor Hannu Lintu, of Helsinki, Finland, conducts weekend concerts of the Utah Symphony this weekend. Richard Strauss' "Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks" and Schumann's Symphony No. 2 share the program.

In his violin concerto, Sibelius achieved the rare feat of writing astonishing virtuoso passages for the soloist as a natural outgrowth of the work's structure - not as flourishes added for show. To play the demanding solo part, the Utah Symphony welcomes another guest from Europe's northern reaches, Norwegian violinist Henning Kraggerud.

In an e-mail interview, Lintu said he and Kraggerud have performed the Sibelius Violin Concerto together before, in Norway. "Henning is an excellent musician, nice guy and interesting mind," Lintu said.

The conductor said his favorite orchestral repertoire includes "classics, great Romantic composers like Mahler, Bruckner, Strauss and Sibelius, and 20th-century composers." That predilection for big Romantic-era works is evident in the program Lintu chose for the Utah Symphony.

"Strauss and Sibelius were contemporaries," he said. "They were both born in the 1860s and had to witness the destruction of the Romantic world in the 20th century. Schumann's Second Symphony is one of his masterpieces - noble and sunny symphony inspired by Beethoven. This is a very good combination!"

Lintu said that while he has never heard the Utah Symphony in live performance, he knows the orchestra's recordings of music by Milhaud, Honegger and Satie. He was unaware that the orchestra is searching for a new conductor. "I'm just looking forward to a great week," he said.

Romantic weekend at Abravanel Hall

» Guest conductor Hannu Lintu leads violinist Henning Kraggerud and the Utah Symphony in concerts Oct. 10 and 11 at 8 p.m. at Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City.

» Tickets are $16 to $60; tickets for a Finishing Touches dress rehearsal performance on Oct. 10 at 10 a.m. are $21; call 801-355-ARTS, or visit www.utahsymphony.org. Subscribers and those requesting group or students discounts should call 801-533-NOTE.

About Hannu Lintu

Age: 40

Home: Helsinki, Finland

Experience: Lintu is a freelance conductor who has held artistic directorships with the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra and Bergen Collegium Musicum chamber orchestra. He has made guest appearances with groups such as the Berlin Symphony, Stuttgart Radio Symphony and Royal Stockholm Philharmonic.

Prior engagements with Utah Symphony: None