Kristian Sallinen has been appointed as the next Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra. He will begin his three-year tenure in August 2027.

Succeeding Matthew Halls, Sallinen becomes the thirteenth Chief Conductor in the orchestra’s history. He will conduct a minimum of seven to eight programmes each season, alongside additional projects. His appointment follows his acclaimed main-season debut with the orchestra in September 2025, which featured a wide-ranging programme including Richard Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier Suite and Magnus Lindberg’s Concerto for Orchestra.

“I am deeply honoured and grateful for the trust Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra has placed in me,” says Sallinen. ​“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.”

General Manager Eija Oravuo also commented: ​“We are absolutely delighted to welcome Kristian in close collaboration with our orchestra. His strong musical vision and orchestral expertise have already made a marked impression on our musicians, audiences and critics during his previous visits to Tampere. We believe he will bring inspiring energy to our shared music-making and offer engaging concert experiences for our audiences.”

Sallinen returns to the Tampere Philharmonic in September 2026 for a programme of all-Finnish music by Sibelius, Saariaho and Raitio. He continues to make significant orchestral debuts and numerous returns as part of a rapidly expanding international profile: recent and forthcoming highlights include appearances with the BBC Symphony, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Brussels Philharmonic, Gothenburg Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic and MDR-Sinfonieorchester (Leipzig) orchestras, his opera debut at the Finnish National Opera, as well as US and Australian debuts with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and West Australian Symphony Orchestra, among many others.