14.12.2010
Hannu Lintu to be Finnish Radio Orchestra’s Chief Conductor
“I am thrilled that my many years of inspiring collaboration with the
FRSO musicians will, under this agreement, continue in a natural way,
and I am proud to be able to follow, as Chief Conductor, the great
Finnish conductors who have contributed to the shaping of this
magnificent orchestra,” he says.
Hannu Lintu begins his term on 1 August 2013. The contract is for three
years with an optional two-year extension. Before taking over as Chief
Conductor proper he will be the FRSO’s Principal Guest Conductor for the
2012/13 season. Sakari Oramo’s term as Chief Conductor of the FRSO ends
in spring 2012.
“Though the FRSO will be sharpening its profile even further on the
international circuit, its core mission is to carry out the Finnish
Broadcasting Company’s role of safeguarding Finnish culture,” Lintu
says. “It is the FRSO’s job to be innovative and to keep its finger on
the pulse of the times. The Finnish Broadcasting Company has, through
its commitment, made the Helsinki Music Centre a reality. I’ve been
impressed by the directors’ concern for the orchestra’s future and by
its support for the orchestra’s presence in the YLE media. The FRSO will
be exploring new ways of approaching audiences of all ages both in the
concert hall and on all the YLE channels. In addition to pursuing
Finland’s keenest programming policy, it will, in the future, also try
to lower the threshold to classical music, to make it increasingly
accessible.”
Ville Vilén, the YLE director of programmes responsible for the FRSO as
of 1 January 2011, readily agrees with Hannu Lintu’s views on how to
develop the FRSO. “We want to bring the FRSO closer to listeners, making
widespread use of YLE’s media expertise on the radio, television and
the net. Hannu Lintu has an exceptionally creative talent for building
up repertoire and conducting,” Vilén reports.
Hannu Lintu is at present Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the
Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also been Artistic Director of
the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra and the Turku Philharmonic. He
studied conducting with Jorma Panula, Eri Klas and Ilja Musin at the
Sibelius Academy 1992-96 and in 1994 was the winner of the Nordic
Conducting Competition. In recent years he has won himself an
established international position in the world of music. His
engagements this season include appearances in Toronto, Sydney, Houston
and Hong Kong, with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony
Orchestra.
Sakari Oramo, the FRSO’s present Chief Conductor, and Jukka-Pekka
Saraste, its Honorary Conductor, will continue to collaborate closely
with the Orchestra during Lintu’s term as Chief Conductor. Oramo was
preceded as Chief Conductor of the orchestra formed in 1928 by Toivo
Haapanen, Nils-Eric Fougstedt, Paavo Berglund, Okko Kamu, Leif Segerstam
and Jukka-Pekka Saraste.
Hannu Lintu will be conducting the closing concert of the FRSO’s autumn season at Finlandia Hall at
7 pm on 15 December.