This recording is dedicated to two recent concertos by Kalevi Aho, one of Finland's most important contemporary composers. As the creator of an oeuvre that is as significant as it is diverse, Aho enjoys working with outstanding soloists, for whom he composes works that showcase their musical qualities, inventiveness and personality. The "Concerto for Alto Flute and Strings" uses an instrument with a soft sound that is well suited as a soloist with a small string orchestra. The work consists of six movements, which are played without interruption, and the soloist Sharon Bezaly sometimes switches to the bass flute, which gives the music a mystical touch. The St Michel Strings and their conductor Erkki Lasonpalo contribute to the mysterious atmosphere, in which lyrical and dramatic episodes abound. The double concerto for viola, percussion and orchestra entitled "Moonlight Concerto" was composed on the initiative of a pair of musicians living in Berlin, violist Hiyoli Togawa and percussionist Alexei Gerassimez. Here we are immersed in a Japanese atmosphere that reveals echoes of the 1000-year-old tradition of ritual gagaku music. In this work, the percussionist plays instruments that are not normally heard in orchestral concerts, such as the moon gong, the waterphone, a hang drum and nine Thai gongs. The Lahti Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Anja Bihlmaier provides the rich orchestral commentary.