Osmo Vänskä
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The conductor Osmo Vänskä (born 28 February 1953 Sääminki, Finland) started his musical career as principal clarinetist of the Helsinki Philharmonic. After studying conducting at the Sibelius Academy, he won the 1982 Besançon Young Conductor's Competition.
He became principal guest conductor of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra in 1985, and chief conductor in 1988. He will conclude his tenure with the Lahti Symphony Orchestra in 2008, at which time he will become Conductor Laureate. His complete set of Sibelius symphonies with the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, also on the BIS label, has gathered widespread acclaim. He has recorded extensively with his Lahti orchestra for the BIS label, including music of Kalevi Aho, Einojuhani Rautavaara, Bernhard Crussell, Uuno Klami, Tauno Marttinen, Robert Kajanus, Sofia Gubaidulina, Joonas Kokkonen, Jan Sandström, and Fredrik Pacius.
Vänskä was chief conductor of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra from 1993-1996. In 1996 he was appointed chief conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and served in that capacity in 2002. In 2003. he became the music director of the Minnesota Orchestra. In 2004, Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra began a five-year project to record the complete Beethoven symphonies on the BIS label. In 2005, Vänskä signed a contract extension with the Minnesota Orchestra which will keep him in Minneapolis through at least 2011.
Vänskä and his wife Pirkko, a freelance drama critic, have a home in Minneapolis. They have three grown children. One of Vänskä's hobbies is motorcycles[1].
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| Preceded by: Ulf Söderblom |
Chief Conductor, Lahti Symphony Orchestra 1988–2008 |
Succeeded by: incumbent |
| Preceded by: Petri Sakari |
Chief Conductor , Iceland Symphony Orchestra 1993–1996 |
Succeeded by: Petri Sakari |
| Preceded by: Jerzy Maksymiuk |
Chief Conductor, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra 1996-2002 |
Succeeded by: Ilan Volkov |
| Preceded by: Eiji Oue |
Music Director, Minnesota Orchestra 2003– |
Succeeded by: incumbent |
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