Susanna Mälkki
Encyclopedia
Susanna Mälkki is a Finnish
conductor
. Trained as a cellist as a pupil of Hannu Kiiski, she later studied conducting with Jorma Panula
, as well as Eri Klas and Leif Segerstam
, at the Sibelius Academy. She has also studied at London's Royal Academy of Music
. She participated in a Sibelius Academy Conductor's Workshop at Carnegie Hall
in 1998, under the supervision of Panula and Esa-Pekka Salonen
.
From 1995 to 1998, she was first cellist in the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
(GSO). She left her position with the GSO to devote herself to conducting[2]. From 2002–2005, she was the music director of the Stavanger
Symphony Orchestra. Her debut with the Ensemble InterContemporain
(EIC) was in August 2004, in a program of Harrison Birtwistle
at the Lucerne Festival. She became the EIC's Music Director in 2006.
Her other work in contemporary music includes opera productions. Mälkki conducted the Finnish premiere of Thomas Adès
' Powder Her Face
in 1999, which led to Adès inviting Mälkki to be his assistant for further performances of this opera in the UK, at the Almeida Theatre, where, as she noted, "I ended up conducting some of the performances". She has also conducted Neither by Morton Feldman
(text of Samuel Beckett
) in Copenhagen
in 2004, and Kaija Saariaho
's L'Amour de Loin at the Finnish National Opera. Her guest conducting engagements have included work with the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group
(BCMG). In 2006, she conducted Kaija Saariaho
's La Passion de Simone at Peter Sellars' New Crowned Hope Festival in Vienna.
Mälkki made her New Zealand conducting debut in November 2006 with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
. Her North American conducting debut was in February 2007 with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra
. Her conducting debut at the BBC Proms was in July 2007, leading the London Sinfonietta.
On August 21, 2010, she conducted the Boston Symphony Orchestra
at the Tanglewood Festival, in a program that included the Beethoven Fourth Symphony, as well as Felix Mendelssohn
's Concerto for Violin and Piano with Joshua Bell
and Jeremy Denk
as the soloists. In February 2011, she returned to the Boston Symphony with a program that included the American premiere of Unsuk Chin
's cello concerto, with Alban Gerhardt
as soloist.
She has recorded two works of Stuart MacRae
for the NMC label, Two Scenes from the Death of Count Ugolino and Motus
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
. Trained as a cellist as a pupil of Hannu Kiiski, she later studied conducting with Jorma Panula
Jorma Panula
Jorma Panula is a Finnish conductor, composer, and professor of conducting.Panula is a graduate of the Sibelius Academy, where he studied the organ, church music and conducting...
, as well as Eri Klas and Leif Segerstam
Leif Segerstam
Leif Segerstam is a Finnish conductor and composer.He studied violin, piano and conducting at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and conducting at the Juilliard School in New York with Jean Morel....
, at the Sibelius Academy. She has also studied at London's Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
. She participated in a Sibelius Academy Conductor's Workshop at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
in 1998, under the supervision of Panula and Esa-Pekka Salonen
Esa-Pekka Salonen
Esa-Pekka Salonen is a Finnish orchestral conductor and composer. He is currently Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Philharmonia Orchestra in London and Conductor Laureate of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.-Early career:...
.
From 1995 to 1998, she was first cellist in the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
The Göteborgs Symfoniker is an orchestra based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Founded in 1905, it was granted the title of the "National Orchestra of Sweden" in 1997...
(GSO). She left her position with the GSO to devote herself to conducting[2]. From 2002–2005, she was the music director of the Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
Symphony Orchestra. Her debut with the Ensemble InterContemporain
Ensemble InterContemporain
The Ensemble InterContemporain is a French chamber orchestra, based in Paris at the Cité de la musique and IRCAM, which specialises in contemporary classical music....
(EIC) was in August 2004, in a program of Harrison Birtwistle
Harrison Birtwistle
Sir Harrison Paul Birtwistle CH is a British contemporary composer.-Life:Birtwistle was born in Accrington, a mill town in Lancashire some 20 miles north of Manchester. His interest in music was encouraged by his mother, who bought him a clarinet when he was seven, and arranged for him to have...
at the Lucerne Festival. She became the EIC's Music Director in 2006.
Her other work in contemporary music includes opera productions. Mälkki conducted the Finnish premiere of Thomas Adès
Thomas Adès
Thomas Adès is a British composer, pianist and conductor.-Biography:Adès studied piano with Paul Berkowitz and later composition with Robert Saxton at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London...
' Powder Her Face
Powder Her Face
Powder Her Face is a chamber opera in two acts, Op. 14 by the British composer Thomas Adès , with an English libretto by Philip Hensher. The opera is 2 hours 20 minutes long...
in 1999, which led to Adès inviting Mälkki to be his assistant for further performances of this opera in the UK, at the Almeida Theatre, where, as she noted, "I ended up conducting some of the performances". She has also conducted Neither by Morton Feldman
Morton Feldman
Morton Feldman was an American composer, born in New York City.A major figure in 20th century music, Feldman was a pioneer of indeterminate music, a development associated with the experimental New York School of composers also including John Cage, Christian Wolff, and Earle Brown...
(text of Samuel Beckett
Samuel Beckett
Samuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet. He wrote both in English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black comedy and gallows humour.Beckett is widely regarded as among the most...
) in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
in 2004, and Kaija Saariaho
Kaija Saariaho
Kaija Saariaho is a Finnish composer.Kaija Saariaho studied composition in Helsinki, Freiburg and Paris, where she has lived since 1982. Her studies and research at IRCAM have had a major influence on her music and her characteristically luxuriant and mysterious textures are often created by...
's L'Amour de Loin at the Finnish National Opera. Her guest conducting engagements have included work with the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group
Birmingham Contemporary Music Group
Birmingham Contemporary Music Group is a chamber orchestra based in Birmingham, England. BCMG specialises in the performance of new and contemporary music. BCMG performs regularly at the CBSO Centre and Symphony Hall in Birmingham...
(BCMG). In 2006, she conducted Kaija Saariaho
Kaija Saariaho
Kaija Saariaho is a Finnish composer.Kaija Saariaho studied composition in Helsinki, Freiburg and Paris, where she has lived since 1982. Her studies and research at IRCAM have had a major influence on her music and her characteristically luxuriant and mysterious textures are often created by...
's La Passion de Simone at Peter Sellars' New Crowned Hope Festival in Vienna.
Mälkki made her New Zealand conducting debut in November 2006 with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra is the national orchestra of New Zealand. It is a crown entity owned by the Government of New Zealand, with 90 full-time players....
. Her North American conducting debut was in February 2007 with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra
The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra based in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1880 by Joseph Otten as the St. Louis Choral Society, the SLSO is the second-oldest symphony orchestra in the United States as it is preceded by the New York Philharmonic.-History:The St...
. Her conducting debut at the BBC Proms was in July 2007, leading the London Sinfonietta.
On August 21, 2010, she conducted the Boston Symphony Orchestra
Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Boston Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays most of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at the Tanglewood Music Center...
at the Tanglewood Festival, in a program that included the Beethoven Fourth Symphony, as well as Felix Mendelssohn
Felix Mendelssohn
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Barthóldy , use the form 'Mendelssohn' and not 'Mendelssohn Bartholdy'. The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians gives ' Felix Mendelssohn' as the entry, with 'Mendelssohn' used in the body text...
's Concerto for Violin and Piano with Joshua Bell
Joshua Bell
Joshua David Bell is an American Grammy Award-winning violinist.-Childhood:Bell was born in Bloomington, Indiana, United States, the son of a psychologist and a therapist. Bell's father is the late Alan P...
and Jeremy Denk
Jeremy Denk
Jeremy Denk is an American classical pianist. He has performed with numerous orchestras and presented world premieres by Jake Heggie, Libby Larsen, Kevin Puts, and Ned Rorem. He frequently performs with violinists Joshua Bell and Soovin Kim. He has recorded several chamber works as well as a solo...
as the soloists. In February 2011, she returned to the Boston Symphony with a program that included the American premiere of Unsuk Chin
Unsuk Chin
Unsuk Chin , is a South Korean composer of classical music, based in Berlin, Germany. She was awarded the Grawemeyer Award in 2004 and the Arnold Schönberg Prize in 2005.- Biography :...
's cello concerto, with Alban Gerhardt
Alban Gerhardt
Alban Gerhardt is a German cellist. He has performed as a soloist with many internationally known orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra.-Early life:...
as soloist.
She has recorded two works of Stuart MacRae
Stuart MacRae
Stuart MacRae is a British composer.- Education and career :Stuart MacRae studied at Durham University with Philip Cashian and Michael Zev Gordon, and subsequently with Simon Bainbridge and Robert Saxton at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama...
for the NMC label, Two Scenes from the Death of Count Ugolino and Motus
External links
- Link to her official agency biography (Harrison Parrott)
- Ensemble InterContemporain biography (in French)
- Bilingual interview in French and English on Odb-opera.com
- Henna Salmela, Susanna Mälkki: interpreting Puumala (interview about the composer Veli-Matti Puumala).
- Stuart MacRae, "Violin Concerto". NMC catalog listing, NMC D115.
- David Sawer, Tiroirs et al., NMC catalog listing, NMC D116.
- CocoRosie meets Koninklijk Concertgebouw Orkest with Susanna Mälkki as conductor, 29 April 2008
- Brian Bell, WGBH Radio's Boston Symphony Orchestra producer interviews Susanna Mälkki, February 2011.