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| Susanna Mälkki | |
|---|---|
| Name | Susanna Mälkki |
| Birth date | 1969 |
| Birth place | Helsinki, Finland |
| Occupation | Conductor, cellist |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Known for | Contemporary music, orchestral conducting |
Susanna Mälkki is a Finnish conductor and cellist noted for her leadership in contemporary music and symphonic repertoire. She has worked with major ensembles and institutions across Europe and North America, combining performances at festivals and concert halls with recording projects and opera productions. Her career bridges collaborations with orchestras, composers, opera houses, and educational institutions.
Born in Helsinki, Finland, she studied cello and conducting at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, where she trained alongside colleagues linked to the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Finnish National Opera, and Lahti Symphony Orchestra. She continued advanced studies with teachers associated with the Royal Academy of Music, the Juilliard School, and the Conservatoire de Paris, and participated in masterclasses connected to the Ensemble InterContemporain, IRCAM, and the Aldeburgh Festival. Early influences included figures from the contemporary music scene such as Kaija Saariaho, Magnus Lindberg, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Pierre Boulez, and she attended workshops affiliated with the Lucerne Festival and the Salzburg Festival.
Mälkki's professional breakthrough came through positions with contemporary ensembles including the Ensemble InterContemporain, the London Sinfonietta, and the Ensemble Modern, leading to guest appearances with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. She served as chief conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and as principal guest conductor with the Los Angeles Philharmonic's New Music Group, collaborating with opera houses such as the Metropolitan Opera, the Finnish National Opera, the Opéra National de Paris, and the Royal Opera House. Her festival appearances have included the BBC Proms, the Salzburg Festival, the Tanglewood Music Festival, and the Lucerne Festival, working with composers and institutions like Steve Reich, John Adams, Peter Eötvös, Boulez, IRCAM, and the Donaueschingen Festival.
Her repertoire spans contemporary works by Kaija Saariaho, Magnus Lindberg, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Thomas Adès, George Benjamin, and Olga Neuwirth, as well as canonical symphonic literature by Ludwig van Beethoven, Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, Igor Stravinsky, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Johannes Brahms. She is noted for interpretations informed by collaborations with composers associated with the IRCAM network, the Ensemble intercontemporain circle, the London Sinfonietta roster, and the Darmstadt School milieu, and for bringing contemporary opera from houses like the Opéra-Comique, the Staatsoper Berlin, and the Teatro Real into mainstream programming. Critics comparing her approach have referenced conductors and musicians such as Pierre Boulez, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Simon Rattle, Marin Alsop, and Gustavo Dudamel.
Her discography includes recordings for labels and institutions such as ECM Records, Sony Classical, Ondine, and Deutsche Grammophon, featuring works by Kaija Saariaho, Magnus Lindberg, Thomas Adès, and John Adams, alongside symphonic cycles by Gustav Mahler and Dmitri Shostakovich. Notable releases involve collaborations with orchestras including the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, and contemporary ensembles tied to the Ensemble intercontemporain and the London Sinfonietta. Her recordings have been reviewed in publications like Gramophone, The New York Times, The Guardian, and Le Monde, and have been programmed on the BBC Radio 3, Finnish Broadcasting Company, and Sveriges Radio.
Mälkki has received recognition from institutions and awards such as the Pro Finlandia Medal, prizes associated with the Royal Philharmonic Society, nominations for Gramophone Awards, and honors from the Nordic Council and the Finnish Music Society. She has been appointed to positions and guest roles at organizations including the Royal Academy of Music, the Juilliard School, the Sibelius Academy, and the European Festivals Association, and has been invited as a jury member for competitions linked to the BBC Young Musician, the ARD International Music Competition, and contemporary music prizes associated with the Donaueschingen Festival.
Mälkki is based between Helsinki and international cultural centers and has advocated for contemporary music commissioning and gender equity initiatives connected to institutions such as the European Concert Hall Organisation, the Wigmore Hall, the BBC Proms, and the League of American Orchestras. She has supported programs promoting young composers and conductors tied to the Sibelius Academy, the Juilliard School, the Royal Academy of Music, and the Tanglewood Music Center, and has participated in panels and projects with UNESCO, the Nordic Council, the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, and arts foundations such as the Paul Sacher Foundation and the Aaron Copland Fund for Music.
Category:Finnish conductors Category:Finnish cellists