Susanna Mälkki

Susanna Mälkki, born in Helsinki in 1969, is one of the most respected conductors of her generation and a renowned champion of contemporary music. Originally a cellist (she was principal cellist of the Gothenburg Symphony), she turned to conducting and from 2006 to 2013 was music director of the Ensemble intercontemporain, the Paris new-music ensemble founded by Pierre Boulez, the first woman to hold the post. She went on to become chief conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic and principal guest conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and made history as the first woman to conduct an opera at La Scala. A conductor of formidable clarity, precision and rhythmic command, she is an ideal interpreter of Steve Reich: she conducted the world premiere of his Music for Ensemble and Orchestra with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2018, and its first recording, and the piece closes tonight’s programme.