Osmo Vänska
©Photo: Joel Larson

Osmo Vänskä announced as Music Director of Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra

30/4/2019

Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra has announced that Osmo Vänskä will be its next Music Director, his first term beginning in January 2020 and extending for three years.

Vänskä has been Music Director of the Minnesota Orchestra since 2003 and has recently announced that he will step down from that position on the expiry of his current contract in Summer 2022. He is Conductor Laureate with the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, and Principal Guest Conductor with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra.

Founded in 1945, and re-born as Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra in 2005, SPO is one of the most respected performing arts organisations in East Asia — priding itself on its breadth of programming as well as its outreach, education and social engagement activities. SPO has enjoyed an extended recording agreement with Deutsche Grammophon and has been internationally feted for performances at many of the world’s leading concert halls, including Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles; National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing; and at the Edinburgh International Festival as well as the BBC Proms. 

“It is a great pleasure to partner with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra in this new leadership role. I look forward to working with the musicians and orchestra administration to create interesting programs and inspiring concerts for the enthusiastic audiences of Seoul.”

Osmo Vänskä

Osmo Vänskä has led the Minnesota Orchestra on five major European tours, as well as historic trips to Cuba in May 2015, at the invitation of the Cuban Ministry of Culture, and South Africa in August 2018 as part of the world-wide celebration of Nelson Mandela’s Centenary. Other key highlights include the complete recordings of Sibelius and Beethoven symphony cycles — winning a Grammy Award in 2014 for ​​‘Best Orchestral Performance’ (Sibelius symphonies 1 and 4), and the forthcoming cycle of Mahler symphonies, of which one disc has already garnered a Grammy nomination in 2018.

In great demand as a guest conductor, in 2018/19 Vänskä has re-invitations to the Chicago and New World symphonies, returns to China working with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra as well as the China and Hangzhou Philharmonics, and is re-invited too by the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. In Europe he will re-visit the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and work with Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Netherlands Radio and London Philharmonic orchestras, and Iceland Symphony Orchestra. 

Annette Kang, President and CEO of Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra says:

“It is such a thrill to announce the appointment of Osmo Vänskä as our next Music Director. His relationship with the orchestra has produced some of the most electrifying concerts we’ve heard these last few years. It is clear that his music making with our musicians is grounded in deep mutual respect and admiration. The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra has incredible artistic energy and creativity, and I have no doubt that Osmo is the ideal leader to continue that momentum and move us into the next era. On behalf of our Board of Directors, musicians, and staff, I greatly look forward to welcoming him to our Philharmonic family. We know he will bring profound inspiration and warmth to our community.”