Posted July 03, 2013

Posted July 3, 2013

It was announced that up-and-coming Finnish conductor Pietari Inkinen will conduct the Melbourne Ring after the abrupt withdrawal of conductor Richard Mills. While Maestro Inkinen is rather young, at age 33, he has impressive conducting credits on his resume and this year Inkinen conducted the first two operas of the Palermo Ring.

When questioned about the young age of Maestro Inkinen, Opera Australia artistic director Lyndon Terracini stated, “if you’re good enough, you’re old enough.”

Inkinen graduated from the prestigious Sibelius Academy with diplomas in violin and conducting. He has worked with many noted orchestras, among them: Leipzig Gewandhaus, BBC Symphony, Bayerische Rundfunk, Deutsche Symphony Orchestra Berlin, Finnish National Opera, La Monnaie Brussels, Bayerische Staatsoper Munich and Staatsoper Berlin.  He has also collaborated with many of music’s elite soloists: Vadim Repin, Hilary Hahn, Nikolaj Znaider and Jean Yves Thibaudet.

Bear in mind Esa Pekka Salonen took the helm of the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the tender age of 34. Similarly Salonen’s replacement, Gustavo Dudamel, assumed the conductor’s podium at age 28.

Below is a word document with additional information, including Maestro Inkinen’s own website and the press release regarding his appointment as conductor for the Melbourne Ring.