Esa-Pekka Salonen

Esa-Pekka Salonen (born June 30, 1958) is a prominent Finnish orchestral conductor and composer. He is currently chief conductor and music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the orchestra with which he made his US debut in 1984.

Related Topics:
June 30 - 1958 - Finnish - Conductor - Composer - Music director - Los Angeles Philharmonic

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Salonen studied horn, conducting and composition at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. A classmate was the composer Magnus Lindberg and together they formed the experimental ensemble Toimii ("It works" in the Finnish language). Later, Salonen studied with the composers Franco Donatoni and Niccolò Castiglioni. Originally he dedicated himself to composing but in 1983 he undertook a performance of Mahler's third symphony with the Philharmonia Orchestra in London at short notice, and it launched his career as a conductor. He was subsequently principal guest conductor of the Philharmonia from 1985 to 1994.

Related Topics:
Horn - Composition - Sibelius Academy - Helsinki - Magnus Lindberg - Finnish language - Franco Donatoni - Niccolò Castiglioni - Mahler - Third symphony - Philharmonia Orchestra - London

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Principal conductor of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra since 1985 and music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra since 1991, Salonen is renowned for his dedication to performing and recording contemporary music. His 1985 world premiere recording of Witold Lutoslawski's Symphony No. 3 won the 1985 Gramophone Award for Best Contemporary Recording.

Related Topics:
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra - Los Angeles Philharmonic - Contemporary music - Witold Lutoslawski - Symphony No. 3 - Gramophone Award

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Among Salonen's compositions are ...auf den ersten blick und ohne zu wissen... (1980, a saxophone concerto with a title taken from Franz Kafka's The Trial), Floof for soprano and ensemble (1982, on texts by Stanis?aw Lem) and the orchestral L.A. Variations (1996). In order to devote more time to composition, Salonen took a year's sabbatical from conducting in 2000, during which time he wrote a work for solo horn (Concert Étude, the competition piece for Lieksa Brass Week), a work for the cellist Anssi Karttunen and sinfonietta, and an orchestral piece.

Related Topics:
Saxophone - Concerto - Franz Kafka - The Trial - Soprano - Stanis?aw Lem

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