ESA-PEKKA SALONEN
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'Esa-Pekka Salonen' () (b. June 30 1958) is a prominent Finnish orchestral conductor and composer. He is currently music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic (LAP), the orchestra with which he made his US debut in 1984.
Salonen, born in Helsinki, Finland, studied horn and composition at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, as well as conducting with Jorma Panula. His conducting classmates included Jukka-Pekka Saraste and Osmo Vänskä.
Another classmate on the composition side was the composer Magnus Lindberg and together they formed the new-music appreciation group ''Korvat auki'' and the experimental ensemble Toimii ("Ears open" and "It works" in the Finnish language). Later, Salonen studied with the composers Franco Donatoni, Niccolò Castiglioni and Einojuhani Rautavaara.
His first experience with conducting came in 1979 with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, though he still thought of himself principally as a composer. In 1983, however, he undertook a performance of Mahler's ''Symphony No. 3'' with the Philharmonia Orchestra in London at short notice, and it launched his career as a conductor.[1] He was subsequently principal guest conductor of the Philharmonia from 1985 to 1994. In November 2006, Salonen was announced as its next Principal Conductor as of 2008.[2]
Salonen was principal conductor of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1984-1995. He has been the Los Angeles Philharmonic's Music Director since 1992. It was recently reported that he and the orchestra have extended the "evergreen" clause in his contract to 2009. At the end of the 2008-2009 season, he is scheduled to relinquish his Los Angeles post to Gustavo Dudamel, becoming Music Director Laureate of that orchestra.[3][4][5][6] In November 2006, the Philharmonia Orchestra announced that Salonen will take up the position of Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor at the beginning of the 2008-9 season.[7]
Salonen is renowned for his dedication to performing and recording contemporary music. His 1985 world premiere recording of Witold Lutosławski's ''Symphony No. 3'' won the 1985 Gramophone Award for Best Contemporary Recording. Salonen conducted the première of Lutosławski's ''Symphony No. 4'' in Los Angeles.
Among Salonen's compositions are ''...auf den ersten blick und ohne zu wissen...'' (1980, a saxophone concerto with a title taken from Franz Kafka's ''The Trial''), ''Floof'' for soprano and ensemble (1982, on texts by Stanisław Lem) and the orchestral ''L.A. Variations'' (1996). In order to devote more time to composition, Salonen took a year's sabbatical from conducting in 2000, during which time he wrote a work for solo horn (''Concert Étude'', the competition piece for Lieksa Brass Week), ''Dichotomie'' for piano, ''Mania'' for the cellist Anssi Karttunen and sinfonietta, and ''Gambit,'' an orchestral piece that was a birthday present for fellow composer and friend Magnus Lindberg.
In 2001, Salonen composed ''Foreign Bodies'', his largest work in terms of orchestration, which incorporated music from the opening movement of ''Dichotomie''. Another orchestral piece, ''Insomnia'', followed in 2002, and another, ''Wing On Wing'', in 2004. ''Wing On Wing'' includes parts for two sopranos and distorted samples of architect Frank O. Gehry's voice as well as a fish.
As is apparent with his interpretations of such avant-garde works as Jan Sandström's Motorbike Concerto, Esa-Pekka Salonen voices a distaste for ideological and dogmatic approaches to composition and sees music creation as deeply physical. In the liner notes for Deutsche Grammophon's release of ''Wing On Wing'', he is quoted saying "Musical expression is bodily expression, there is no abstract cerebral expression in my opinion. It all comes out of the body." A recurring theme in his music is the fusion of or relationship between the mechanical and the organic. He has also stated that his time in California has helped him to be more "free" in his compositions.[8]
Salonen and his wife Jane, a former musician with the Philharmonia Orchestra, have three children, two daughters, Ella Aneira and Anja Sofia, and one son, Oliver.[9]
'Career highlights'
★ 1981 - completed first large scale work, ''...auf den ersten Blick und ohne zu wissen...''
★ 1983 - co-founded Avanti! Chamber Orchestra in Finland with Jukka-Pekka Saraste
★ 1985 - appointed chief conductor of Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
★ 1992 - appointed Music Director of Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
★ 1995 - Artistic Director of Helsinki Festival
★ 1997 - premiere of LA Variations in Los Angeles
★ 2006 - named Principal Conductor Designate of the Philharmonia Orchestra
★ 1982 ''Floof'' (chamber ensemble)
★ 1996 ''LA Variations'' (orchestra)
★ 1999 ''Five Images after Sappho'' (soprano, chamber ensemble)
★ 2000 ''Dichotomie'' (piano)
★ 2001 ''Foreign Bodies'' (orchestra)
★ 2002 ''Insomnia'' (orchestra)
★ 2000 ''Mania'' (cello, orchestra or ensemble)
★ 2004 ''Wing on Wing'' (two sopranos, orchestra)
★ 2007 ''Piano Concerto'' (piano, orchestra)
★ ''Concerto for Alto Saxophone; Floof; Meeting; Mimo II; Yta I; Yta II; Yta IIb; Yta III'' – Pekka Savijoki; Anu Komsi; Kari Krikku; Jukka Tiensuu; Jorma Valjakka; Mikael Helasvuo; Tuija Hakkila; Anssi Karttunen; Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra; Avanti! Chamber Orchestra; Esa-Pekka Salonen – Finlandia 0927 43815 2
★ ''Five Images After Sappho; Gambit; Giro; LA Variations; Mania'' – Dawn Upshaw; Anssi Karttunen; Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra; London Sinfonietta; Esa-Pekka Salonen – Sony SK89158
★ ''Foreign Bodies; Insomnia; Wing on Wing''–Anu Komsi; Piia Komsi; Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra; Esa-Pekka Salonen – Deutsche Grammophon 477 5375
★ ''Red Violin'' – Joshua Bell, solo violin; Philarmonia Orchestra; Sony Classical.
1. LA Variation
2. Philharmonia Orchestra Announces Salonen As Principal Conductor
3. Maestro will pass baton to up-and-comer in '09
4. Gustavo Dudamel to Replace Esa-Pekka Salonen at LA Philharmonic in 2009
5. L.A. Philharmonic warms to Gustavo Dudamel
6. Salonen passing L.A. Phil baton to Dudamel
7. Philharmonia Orchestra Announces Salonen As Principal Conductor
8. A compulsion to compose
9. Classical Music Star Grabs, and Holds, the Imagination of Fickle Los Angeles
★ Esa-Pekka Salonen - Official Website
★
★ Esa-Pekka Salonen at Sony Classical
★ Esa-Pekka Salonen biography at ChesterNovello
★ NewMusicBox cover: Esa-Pekka Salonen in conversation with Frank J. Oteri, June 2, 2005 (video excerpts from NewMusicBox)
| Contents |
| Biography |
| Selected compositions |
| Selected recordings |
| References |
| External links |
Biography
Salonen, born in Helsinki, Finland, studied horn and composition at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, as well as conducting with Jorma Panula. His conducting classmates included Jukka-Pekka Saraste and Osmo Vänskä.
Another classmate on the composition side was the composer Magnus Lindberg and together they formed the new-music appreciation group ''Korvat auki'' and the experimental ensemble Toimii ("Ears open" and "It works" in the Finnish language). Later, Salonen studied with the composers Franco Donatoni, Niccolò Castiglioni and Einojuhani Rautavaara.
His first experience with conducting came in 1979 with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, though he still thought of himself principally as a composer. In 1983, however, he undertook a performance of Mahler's ''Symphony No. 3'' with the Philharmonia Orchestra in London at short notice, and it launched his career as a conductor.[1] He was subsequently principal guest conductor of the Philharmonia from 1985 to 1994. In November 2006, Salonen was announced as its next Principal Conductor as of 2008.[2]
Salonen was principal conductor of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1984-1995. He has been the Los Angeles Philharmonic's Music Director since 1992. It was recently reported that he and the orchestra have extended the "evergreen" clause in his contract to 2009. At the end of the 2008-2009 season, he is scheduled to relinquish his Los Angeles post to Gustavo Dudamel, becoming Music Director Laureate of that orchestra.[3][4][5][6] In November 2006, the Philharmonia Orchestra announced that Salonen will take up the position of Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor at the beginning of the 2008-9 season.[7]
Salonen is renowned for his dedication to performing and recording contemporary music. His 1985 world premiere recording of Witold Lutosławski's ''Symphony No. 3'' won the 1985 Gramophone Award for Best Contemporary Recording. Salonen conducted the première of Lutosławski's ''Symphony No. 4'' in Los Angeles.
Among Salonen's compositions are ''...auf den ersten blick und ohne zu wissen...'' (1980, a saxophone concerto with a title taken from Franz Kafka's ''The Trial''), ''Floof'' for soprano and ensemble (1982, on texts by Stanisław Lem) and the orchestral ''L.A. Variations'' (1996). In order to devote more time to composition, Salonen took a year's sabbatical from conducting in 2000, during which time he wrote a work for solo horn (''Concert Étude'', the competition piece for Lieksa Brass Week), ''Dichotomie'' for piano, ''Mania'' for the cellist Anssi Karttunen and sinfonietta, and ''Gambit,'' an orchestral piece that was a birthday present for fellow composer and friend Magnus Lindberg.
In 2001, Salonen composed ''Foreign Bodies'', his largest work in terms of orchestration, which incorporated music from the opening movement of ''Dichotomie''. Another orchestral piece, ''Insomnia'', followed in 2002, and another, ''Wing On Wing'', in 2004. ''Wing On Wing'' includes parts for two sopranos and distorted samples of architect Frank O. Gehry's voice as well as a fish.
As is apparent with his interpretations of such avant-garde works as Jan Sandström's Motorbike Concerto, Esa-Pekka Salonen voices a distaste for ideological and dogmatic approaches to composition and sees music creation as deeply physical. In the liner notes for Deutsche Grammophon's release of ''Wing On Wing'', he is quoted saying "Musical expression is bodily expression, there is no abstract cerebral expression in my opinion. It all comes out of the body." A recurring theme in his music is the fusion of or relationship between the mechanical and the organic. He has also stated that his time in California has helped him to be more "free" in his compositions.[8]
Salonen and his wife Jane, a former musician with the Philharmonia Orchestra, have three children, two daughters, Ella Aneira and Anja Sofia, and one son, Oliver.[9]
'Career highlights'
★ 1981 - completed first large scale work, ''...auf den ersten Blick und ohne zu wissen...''
★ 1983 - co-founded Avanti! Chamber Orchestra in Finland with Jukka-Pekka Saraste
★ 1985 - appointed chief conductor of Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
★ 1992 - appointed Music Director of Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
★ 1995 - Artistic Director of Helsinki Festival
★ 1997 - premiere of LA Variations in Los Angeles
★ 2006 - named Principal Conductor Designate of the Philharmonia Orchestra
Selected compositions
★ 1982 ''Floof'' (chamber ensemble)
★ 1996 ''LA Variations'' (orchestra)
★ 1999 ''Five Images after Sappho'' (soprano, chamber ensemble)
★ 2000 ''Dichotomie'' (piano)
★ 2001 ''Foreign Bodies'' (orchestra)
★ 2002 ''Insomnia'' (orchestra)
★ 2000 ''Mania'' (cello, orchestra or ensemble)
★ 2004 ''Wing on Wing'' (two sopranos, orchestra)
★ 2007 ''Piano Concerto'' (piano, orchestra)
Selected recordings
★ ''Concerto for Alto Saxophone; Floof; Meeting; Mimo II; Yta I; Yta II; Yta IIb; Yta III'' – Pekka Savijoki; Anu Komsi; Kari Krikku; Jukka Tiensuu; Jorma Valjakka; Mikael Helasvuo; Tuija Hakkila; Anssi Karttunen; Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra; Avanti! Chamber Orchestra; Esa-Pekka Salonen – Finlandia 0927 43815 2
★ ''Five Images After Sappho; Gambit; Giro; LA Variations; Mania'' – Dawn Upshaw; Anssi Karttunen; Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra; London Sinfonietta; Esa-Pekka Salonen – Sony SK89158
★ ''Foreign Bodies; Insomnia; Wing on Wing''–Anu Komsi; Piia Komsi; Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra; Esa-Pekka Salonen – Deutsche Grammophon 477 5375
★ ''Red Violin'' – Joshua Bell, solo violin; Philarmonia Orchestra; Sony Classical.
References
1. LA Variation
2. Philharmonia Orchestra Announces Salonen As Principal Conductor
3. Maestro will pass baton to up-and-comer in '09
4. Gustavo Dudamel to Replace Esa-Pekka Salonen at LA Philharmonic in 2009
5. L.A. Philharmonic warms to Gustavo Dudamel
6. Salonen passing L.A. Phil baton to Dudamel
7. Philharmonia Orchestra Announces Salonen As Principal Conductor
8. A compulsion to compose
9. Classical Music Star Grabs, and Holds, the Imagination of Fickle Los Angeles
External links
★ Esa-Pekka Salonen - Official Website
★
★ Esa-Pekka Salonen at Sony Classical
★ Esa-Pekka Salonen biography at ChesterNovello
★ NewMusicBox cover: Esa-Pekka Salonen in conversation with Frank J. Oteri, June 2, 2005 (video excerpts from NewMusicBox)
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