Christmas Luncheon | Hotel Haven
December 10 @ 11:30 – 14:00
Welcome to our Christmas Luncheon at the very elegant Hotel Haven!
Restaurant Haven is set in the beautiful Sundman building, the second oldest stone building in Helsinki. The dining room windows offer wonderful views over the Market Square and the harbour of Helsinki. The place radiates a warm and cozy charm ready for our joyful gathering.
We are very honored to have Xian Zhang, the extraordinary Chinese-American conductor, as our Christmas Luncheon speaker.
Zhang has been leading and performing with the world’s top-tier orchestras and is currently the Music Director of New Jersey Symphony, Seattle Symphony, and Conductor Emeritus of Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano. Zhang is making her debut now at Finnish National Opera conducting Tosca, premiere in this November.
Zhang is woman of many “firsts”: the first woman to hold a titled conducting position with New York Philharmonic, the first woman to lead a major Italian symphony orchestra, and the first woman to hold a titled conducting position with a BBC orchestra as principal guest conductor of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. The New York Times described Zhang as “a dynamic podium presence”.
Zhang is looking forward to a lively conversation with us. She will start with a few introductory words, then open the floor for informal Q&A. Come for an unforgettable opportunity to meet Xian Zhang!
Programme
- 11:30 – Arrival, greets, and casual mingling. Sparkling wine will be served.
- 12:00 – 12:40 Speaker’s talk, and informal Q&A
- 12:45 – 14:00 Christmas Buffet
Details
- Date & time: Wednesday 10th December, 11:30-14:00
- Venue: Hotel Haven, Eteläranta 16, 00130 Helsinki
- Capacity: 54 participants
- Price: 40€
- The Club has sponsored part of your costs.
- Members only
- Last day to register or cancel is Friday 5th, by 10am.
- No shows and late cancellations will be invoiced.
Christmas Luncheon | Hotel Haven
Welcome to our Christmas Luncheon at the very elegant Hotel Haven, where we will enjoy good food, great company, and an interesting talk by internationally acclaimed conductor Xian Zhang.
Meet Xian Zhang
2025/26 marks the GRAMMY® and Emmy Award-winning conductor Xian Zhang’s tenth season as Music Director of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. Under her artistic leadership, NJ Symphony won two awards at the mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards in 2022 for their concert films, including “EMERGE”. As of 2025/26, she also becomes the Music Director of Seattle Symphony with whom she has been a long-term collaborator since her debut in 2008. Following her tenure as Music Director of Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano between 2009-16, she continues as their Conductor Emeritus. As a guest conductor, Zhang appears regularly with Los Angeles Philharmonic and Philadelphia Orchestra. Her Deutsche Grammophon recording with the latter (Letters for The Future with Time for Three, released 2022) won GRAMMY® awards for Best Contemporary Classical Composition (Kevin Puts’ Contact) and Best Classical Instrumental Solo.
2025/26 highlights include returns to Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, St Louis Symphony, and National Arts Centre Ottawa. In Europe, she returns to Netherlands Radio Philharmonic with a performance at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, and makes her debut at Finnish National Opera conducting Tosca. This follows her huge success at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where she recently conducted Madama Butterfly (2023/24) and Tosca (2024/25) to great acclaim:
“The success of Kurzak’s performance was due in no small part to Xian Zhang’s sensitivity as a conductor. Zhang has an exceptional ear for balance, as well as the ability to draw the softest, most transparent tones imaginable from the orchestra. […] With such skills and obvious audience appeal, Zhang should prove a valuable addition to the Met’s conducting staff.” – New York Classical Review
Other recent highlights include subscription programmes with Boston Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, Houston Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Washington’s National Symphony Orchestra, Montreal Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Orchestra of St Luke’s (including Brahms Requiem at Carnegie Hall), and Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse.
Zhang previously served as Principal Guest Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and BBC National Orchestra & Chorus of Wales, the first female conductor to hold a titled role with a BBC orchestra. In 2002, she won first prize in the Maazel-Vilar Conductor’s Competition. She was appointed New York Philharmonic’s Assistant Conductor in 2002, subsequently becoming their Associate Conductor and the first holder of the Arturo Toscanini Chair.