Conductor
Finnish conductor and composer of commanding intellect and adventurous vision, Esa-Pekka Salonen has redefined the role of the modern orchestra director through innovative programming and a fearless engagement with both canonical and contemporary repertoire.
Defining moments and milestones
Salonen's ascent from Helsinki prodigy to international maestro was marked by his appointment as Principal Guest Conductor of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in the mid-1980s, followed by his transformative decade leading the Los Angeles Philharmonic, where he established himself as an advocate for contemporary music and a meticulous interpreter of the European symphonic tradition. His subsequent engagements—including positions with the Philharmonia Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony—have consolidated his reputation as one of the most intellectually rigorous and artistically adventurous conductors of his generation, equally at home in Mahler and Messiaen.
Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic (1992–2009), during which he elevated the orchestra to world-class status and commissioned over 50 new works
Sibelius Academy
Recordings featuring Esa-Pekka Salonen in the Society index
Additional recordings will appear here as the catalog expands.