Jukka-Pekka Saraste
© Felix Broede
Artistic Master
- Consultancy, Touring and Special Projects
- Conductor, UK Engagements
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‘Every conductor and soloist knows how essential a good mentor is, and it’s no different for orchestra members and leaders’
Jukka-Pekka Saraste is renowned for the depth of his musical interpretations and dynamic leadership both on and off the podium. Across a distinguished career, he has led many of the world’s great orchestras, currently serving as Chief Conductor of Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, and most recently, at WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne and Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra.
Saraste has demonstrated his commitment to the future of classical music by co-founding the LEAD! Foundation and the annual Fiskars Summer Festival, supporting emerging young conductors, composers and orchestral leaders. LEAD! brings together renowned Finnish and international artists to share their knowledge with the next generation through masterclasses, mentoring and orchestra desk-sharing.
With Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Saraste has embarked on Sibelius & Saraste, a project to record all Sibelius’ symphonies as high-quality multi-camera productions, broadcast over Deutsche Grammaphone’s classical music streaming platform STAGE+. Having premiered most of Sibelius’s orchestral works, the orchestra brings a unique musical and historic perspective to their performances and these live digital concerts offer audiences around the world the full authentic experience. The project culminates in 2025, marking the 160th anniversary of the composer’s birth.
‘Music is a particularly strong part of Finnish culture, and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra itself plays a significant role in building our identities’
