John Storgårds
Conductor
“Helios Overture developed out of nothing into a climax of majestic radiance. This was just a taster for the palette of sounds Storgårds brought into play for the Sibelius.” The Guardian, January 2009
John Storgårds is one of the most versatile and respected Finnish musicians of his generation. He has become one of today’s leading performers of new and rarely heard works, alongside more familiar repertoire. His creative flair for programming is an impressive hallmark for him worldwide.
Chief Conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra since 2008/2009, he additionally holds the title of Artistic Director of the Chamber Orchestra of Lapland (ongoing since 1996).
Storgårds appears regularly with the BBC Symphony Orchestra (with whom he made his BBC Proms debut in 2005), with Gothenburg Symphony, the Swedish and Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestras, Oslo Philharmonic, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Danish National Symphony, MDR Leipzig Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI Torino, BBC Scottish Symphony and Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg. Further afield, Storgårds has conducted the Sydney, Melbourne and New Zealand Symphonies, Australian Chamber Orchestra and the St Paul Chamber Orchestra. He made his Japan debut in 2007 with Kioi Sinfonietta. Soloists with whom he regularly collaborates include Christian Tetzlaff, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Truls Mørk, Olli Mustonen, Colin Currie, Håkan Hardenberger, Sabine Meyer, Kari Kriikku, Karita Mattila, Matti Salminen and Sol Gabetta.
Storgårds will tour with Helsinki Philharmonic this season to Budapest and to Vienna’s Konzerthaus (with soloist Jean Yves Thibaudet), where he makes his Vienna symphonic debut. A major tour of Germany is planned in 2010/2011. Storgårds appeared for the first time last season with City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, resulting in an immediate reinvitation. Future debuts planned include with Het Residentie Orkest, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Orquesta de Valencia, Konzerthaus Orchester Berlin and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
In the opera field, last season he conducted Verdi’s Don Carlos at Tampere Opera and gave the Finnish premiere of Rodion Shchedrin’s The Enchanted Wanderer, in a concert performance with which he opened his first season as Principal Conductor in Helsinki.
Storgårds’ recordings include the award-winning Vasks’ Violin Concerto Distant Light and Second Symphony (Cannes Classical Disc of the Year Award 2004), Kaija Saariaho’s Graal theatre, works of John Corigliano and the seldom-heard Busoni Violin Concerto with soloist Frank Peter Zimmermann. A recording of works by Kalevi Aho, was released last season to great acclaim, and a disc of orchestral works by Panufnik was Pick of the Year in many prominent publications. His most recent releases have included works by Hakola and the Icelandic composer Hallgrimsson (the latter featuring Truls Mørk as soloist).
John Storgårds led the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra during Esa-Pekka Salonen’s tenure and subsequently studied conducting with Jorma Panula and Eri Klas. He received the Finnish State Prize for Music in 2002.
SEASON 2009/2010
