Recent engagements include the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic (25/26 season-closing concerts), Helsinki Philharmonic, Sinfonia Lahti, Malmö Symfoniorkester, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and the Luxembourg Philharmonic, Iceland Symphony, Stavanger Symphony, Gävle Symphony, RTÉ National Symphony, Ulster, Latvian National Symphony, Turku Philharmonic and Trondheim Symphony orchestras. In Spring 2026 Sallinen made his opera debut, conducting a double bill of Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta and Sibelius’ Luonnotar at the Finnish National Opera and Ballet.

From Mozart and Beethoven to Ravel, Bartók, Bacewicz and Richard Strauss, Sallinen’s wide-ranging repertoire also features a strong commitment to contemporary music; recent and forthcoming highlights include world premieres of Jouni Hirvelä’s Helsinki Variations (Helsinki Philharmonic) and Stephen James Webb’s Violin Concerto (Turku Philharmonic), as well as a portrait concert devoted to Dobrinka Tabakova’s music with the Münchener Kammerorchester. He continues to champion the music of leading Finnish compatriots such as Sibelius, Saariaho, Fagerlund and Madetoja. Soloist collaborations include distinguished names such as Maxim Vengerov, Lawrence Power, Inmo Yang, Simone Lamsma, Alena Baeva, Carolin Widmann and Anu Komsi.

Sallinen completed his Orchestral Conducting studies with Sakari Oramo at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki 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. His musical studies began at the age of five on the violin, and in 2013 he switched to the viola. A national prize-winner and former member of the Seele String Quartet, Sallinen has performed at festivals across Europe and appeared as a soloist with orchestras including the Finnish Radio Symphony.