Hannu Lintu has been appointed Chief Conductor of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet. He will begin his four-and-a-half-year tenure on 1 January 2022, shortly after completing his eighth and final season as Chief Conductor of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra.

The appointment follows a series of hugely successful collaborations between Lintu and the company – Tristan und Isolde in 2016, Sibelius’s Kullervo in 2017 and Berg’s Wozzeck in 2019; he will also conduct Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos in early 2020 – and reflects Lintu’s shifting focus into the field of opera. The tenure encompasses various opera and ballet productions as well as concert performances, and among his key tasks will be the further development of the orchestra and chorus in co-operation with the FNOB’s chorus masters.

Commenting on the appointment, the FNOB drew attention to Lintu’s ​“ability to control the large-scale productions of opera, as well as excel in visionary interpretation. Having Lintu, a high-profile artist in the Finnish music scene, as an advocate, supporter and advisor, will be an important asset for the Finnish National Opera and Ballet.” Lintu responded, “…It’s so exciting for me to be able to focus on one of the greatest and most challenging artistic achievements: the symbiosis of music, words and the stage … The [Finnish National Opera and Ballet] is a house where I feel surrounded by friends and where professional skills and burning passion come together to make art for the sake of both music and the audience.”