Finland's Finest

Finnish composer Johan Julius Christian Sibelius wanted to become a virtuoso violinist but never achieved that childhood dream. Still, he became a successful composer and his Violin Concerto is a famous piece and reportedly the most often recorded 20th-century concerto. Tonight, the Cleveland Orchestra performs the piece with violin soloist Alina Ibragimova. Arrive an hour early to hear Second Thoughts and First Impressions, a pre-concert talk by the Cleveland Institute of Music’s Timothy Cutler. The concert begins at 7:30 at Severance Hall. Tickets start at $29. The orchestra and Ibragimova perform again at Severance at 8 on Saturday night. (Niesel)