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Esa-Pekka Salonen
Esa-Pekka Salonen
Finnish conductor and composer
1
Jorma Panula
Jorma Panula
Finnish conductor and composer
2
Paavo Berglund
Paavo Berglund
Finnish conductor and violinist
3
Jorma Hynninen
Jorma Hynninen
Finnish singer
4
Oslo Philharmonic
Oslo Philharmonic
Norwegian orchestra
5
Okko Kamu
Okko Kamu
Finnish conductor and violinist
6
Pekka Kuusisto
Pekka Kuusisto
Finnish musician
7
Atso Almila
Atso Almila
Finnish conductor, composer and trombonist
8
Lisa Batiashvili
Lisa Batiashvili
Georgian musician
9
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
10
Mikko Franck
Mikko Franck
Finnish conductor
11
Sakari Oramo
Sakari Oramo
Finnish conductor
12
Leonidas Kavakos
Leonidas Kavakos
Greek violinist
13
Catherine Manoukian
Catherine Manoukian
Canadian classical violinist
14
Leila Josefowicz
Leila Josefowicz
American-Canadian classical violinist.
15
Paavo Järvi
Paavo Järvi
Estonian conductor
16
Cho-Liang Lin
Cho-Liang Lin
Taiwanese violinist
17
Lotta Wennäkoski
Lotta Wennäkoski
Finnish composer
18
Santtu-Matias Rouvali
Santtu-Matias Rouvali
Finnish conductor and percussionist
19
Hannu Lintu
Hannu Lintu
Finnish conductor
20
Leif Segerstam
Leif Segerstam
Finnish conductor and composer
21
Susanna Mälkki
Susanna Mälkki
Finnish conductor and cellist
22
Truls Mørk
Truls Mørk
Norwegian cellist.
23
Sarah Chang
Sarah Chang
violinist
24
Vilde Frang
Vilde Frang
classical violinist
25
Billy Childs
Billy Childs
American jazz pianist
26
Lauri Porra
Lauri Porra
Finnish musician
27
Saschko Gawriloff
Saschko Gawriloff
German musician
28
Anders Hillborg
Anders Hillborg
Swedish composer
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Shlomo Mintz
Shlomo Mintz
Israeli violin virtuoso, violist and conductor
Jukka-Pekka Saraste
Finnish conductor

Jukka-Pekka Saraste

Intro
Finnish conductor
Awards Received
Pro Finlandia Medal of the Order of the Lion of Finland
Finnish State Prize for Music
Jukka-Pekka Saraste, 2014

Jukka-Pekka Saraste (born 22 April 1956, Heinola, Finland) is a Finnish conductor and violinist.

Saraste was trained as a violinist. He later studied conducting at the Sibelius Academy with Jorma Panula in the same class as Esa-Pekka Salonen and Osmo Vänskä. Before becoming a conductor, Saraste was co-principal second violinist and later an associate to Leif Segerstam, with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (RSO).

In 1983, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Saraste co-founded the Avanti! Chamber Orchestra, which specialises in performances of contemporary music. In 2000, Saraste also founded the Ekenäs Summer Concerts-Festival with the Finnish Chamber Orchestra, and he is currently the artistic advisor to both Festival and Orchestra. Saraste has directed the Finnish Chamber orchestra on several tours, including tours in the United States and China.

In 1987, Saraste became the chief conductor of the RSO, and held the position until 2001. In 1987, he also became the principal conductor of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and remained with the orchestra until 1991. Saraste now holds the title of Conductor Laureate of the RSO. He has twice recorded the complete symphonies of Jean Sibelius with the RSO.

Saraste became Music Director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in 1994. The later years of his tenure were marked by strife over the orchestra's financial difficulties, several musicians' strikes, and his unsuccessful efforts to improve the acoustics at Roy Thomson Hall. During the 1999 labour dispute, Saraste had offered to serve as mediator in the situation. Saraste stepped down from his Toronto post in 2001, and has since returned to Toronto for several guest appearances.

From 2002 to 2005, Saraste served as the principal guest conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. In August 2006, he became Music Director of the Oslo Philharmonic, with an initial contract of 5 years. In June 2009, his Oslo contract was extended through the 2012–2013 season. He is scheduled to conclude his Oslo tenure after the 2012–2013 season. In December 2006, the Lahti Symphony Orchestra announced the appointment of Saraste as its artistic advisor from 2008 through 2011, and Artistic Director of the Lahti Sibelius Festival in 2008. In November 2008, the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne announced the appointment of Saraste as its next principal conductor, effective with the 2010–2011 season. He served in the post through the 2018–2019 season.

Saraste was awarded the Finnish State Prize for Music in 2000. He has received a Doctor honoris causa from York University (Toronto), and he is a Sibelius Medalist. Other honours also include the Sibelius Prize, awarded in Norway.