Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra Appoints Kristian Sallinen as the Next Chief Conductor

Kristian Sallinen has been appointed Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra. He will begin his three-year term in August 2027, following the tenure of British conductor Matthew Halls. Sallinen will conduct a minimum of 7–8 programmes each season alongside other projects and will become the thirteenth Chief Conductor in the Finnish orchestra’s 96-year history.

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Sallinen last appeared in Tampere in September 2025, conducting Richard Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier Suite and Magnus Lindberg’s Concerto for Orchestra. He will return this September to lead a programme of Finnish music by Jean Sibelius, Kaija Saariaho and Väinö Raitio.

– I am deeply honoured and grateful for the trust the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra has placed in me. It is a privilege to work with such outstanding musicians, and I look forward to creating a future together with the orchestra and its audiences, says Kristian Sallinen.

Described as a “super talent” with a rapidly expanding international presence, Sallinen continues to make important debuts and return appearances. This spring, he conducted the season finale of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and made his opera debut at the Finnish National Opera. Recent and upcoming engagements extend to the BBC Symphony, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Gothenburg Symphony, Brussels Philharmonic and MDR Sinfonieorchester (Leipzig) orchestras, as well as his US debut with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, among many others.

– We are absolutely delighted to welcome Kristian in close collaboration with our orchestra. His strong musical vision and expertise have already made a clear impression on our musicians, audiences and critics during his previous visits to Tampere, says Eija Oravuo, General Manager of the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra.

Sallinen studied conducting at the Sibelius Academy with Sakari Oramo, graduating in spring 2025. A former student of Jorma Panula, his mentors have included Paavo Järvi, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Hannu Lintu, Jukka-Pekka Saraste and Susanna Mälkki. He began his musical studies as a violinist aged five, later switching to the viola, and has performed at festivals across Europe and as a soloist with orchestras.

The Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1930, is the orchestra of the City of Tampere. With 96 musicians, we perform symphonic repertoire alongside chamber music, opera, ballet and concerts for children, families and wider audiences at Tampere Hall, Finland’s largest concert hall.

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