Esa-Pekka Salonen

The Finn Esa-Pekka Salonen (*1958) is not only one of the most prominent conductors of our time, but also an internationally renowned composer. His stylistic compositional approach is more traditional than experimental, taking its starting point from the gestures and tonal aura of the Late Romantic and classical modern music before 1945. At the same time, Salonen integrates techniques of the more recent avant-garde in his compositions, amalgamating these influences into a personal synthesis. Many of his compositions which have been performed by well-known orchestras and outstanding soloists unfold in a dramatic clarity oscillating between the poles of aggressive, forward-thrusting rhythms and intense lyricism which speak out directly to his audiences. 

Salonen studied the French horn, conducting and composition at the Sibelius Akademie in Helsinki where his most prominent teachers included Jorma Panula and Einojuhani Rautavaara. Rautavaara’s undogmatic compositional aesthetics can be seen as a model for Salonen’s own approach. During his studies, Salonen made acquaintance with his composition colleagues Kaija Saariaho and Magnus Lindberg and subsequently promoted the works of the two composers representing two contrasting directions in contemporary music. Salonen later continued his studies in composition in Italy with teachers including Franco Donatoni and Niccolò Castiglioni.

In 1983, Salonen’s career took a dramatic turn in a similar manner experienced by Leonard Bernstein and Bernhard Haitink when he took over a concert given by the Philharmonia Orchestra London virtually overnight, resulting in a wave of enthusiasm by both orchestra and audience for his interpretation of Mahler’s Symphony No. 3. From this point onwards, his career path led him to great orchestras across the world, earning particular praise for his longstanding posts as chief conductor of the Swedish Radio Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic und the San Francisco Symphony; he will be retiring from the latter position in 2025. The conductor Salonen is an untiring champion of contemporary music and has given numerous world premieres. His extensive discography has a special focus on music of the 20th century, ranging from works by Igor Stravinsky, Jean Sibelius and Bela Bartók to György Ligeti, John Adams and his own compositions.

Salonen’s compositional output includes 57 published works since 1980. Salonen’s compositional activities remained in the shadow of his conducting career for around twenty years, but since 2000, he has created a larger-scale work in almost every successive year. His focus remains on orchestral compositions including a series of solo concertos and works for ensemble. His most recent composition to be premiered was his “Sinfonia concertante” for organ and orchestra, jointly dedicated to Oliver Latry and Iveta Apkalna and performed for the first time in the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie in 2022.