KBS Symphony Orchestra Appoints Pietari Inkinen as New Music Director

Pietari Inkinen. (Photo by KBS Symphony Orchestra)

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] KBS Symphony Orchestra announced on the 11th that it has appointed Pietari Inkinen (41), a young maestro from Finland, as its new music director.

Pietari Inkinen will assume the position of music director of the KBS Symphony Orchestra starting January 1, 2022, and will lead the orchestra for a total of three years until December 31, 2024.

Pietari Inkinen majored in conducting at the Helsinki Sibelius Academy, a world-renowned training ground for conductors. Since then, he has conducted prestigious orchestras worldwide, including the Concertgebouw Orchestra, NDR Hamburg, SWR Stuttgart, and the BBC Philharmonic. He currently serves as principal conductor of the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, principal conductor of the Japan Philharmonic, and honorary conductor of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

He began playing the violin at age four and continues to be active as a violinist. Known for his exceptional musical talent, he first stepped onto the podium at age 15. The KBS Symphony Orchestra first established a connection with him by inviting him to regular concerts in 2006 and 2008 when he was in his twenties. After reuniting in October last year, he was selected as the 9th music director of the KBS Symphony Orchestra.

In July 2019, Pietari Inkinen was contacted by the Bayreuth Festival to be appointed for a new production of Wagner's opera "Der Ring des Nibelungen" in 2020. The appointment of a young conductor in his forties to the Bayreuth Ring Cycle, which has previously featured world-renowned conductors such as Pierre Boulez, Daniel Barenboim, and Christian Thielemann, caused a significant stir in the global classical music community.

He has released complete recordings of Sibelius symphonies twice through the New Zealand Symphony and the Japan Symphony. Additionally, his Wagner performances have received awards in Australia and Italy.

Regarding his performance experience with the KBS Symphony Orchestra in October last year, Pietari Inkinen said, "It was a very enjoyable and special concert," adding, "I was impressed by the musicians' fearless dedication and their musical and beautiful performance." He further stated, "I look forward to creating even better concerts together in the future," and added, "Korean audiences are among the most passionate and warm audiences in the world, and we will present wonderful music not only in Seoul but throughout Korea."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.