- Born:
- March 13, 1969, Helsinki, Finland (age 57)
Susanna Mälkki
-
Who is Susanna Mälkki?
Susanna Mälkki, born on March 13, 1969, is a Finnish conductor known for her work with contemporary composers and opera. She is notable as the first woman to conduct a production at Milan’s La Scala in 2011 and for her role as chief conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra starting in 2016–17.
Mälkki's interest in music grew in the 1980s, leading her to study cello and, later, conducting at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. She was the music director of the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra in Norway from 2002 to 2005, and in 2006, she became the first woman music director of the Ensemble Intercontemporain in Paris.
Mälkki is known for championing contemporary works and is an internationally recognized opera conductor. In 2015, she was appointed chief conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and, in 2017, principal guest conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What does a conductor do in an orchestra?
A conductor leads musical performances, ensuring everyone follows the same rhythm. They use hand and arm movements to indicate tempo and meter. Some conductors use a baton to emphasize the beat, while others rely on hand gestures for more expressive directions.
Susanna Mälkki is a Finnish conductor known for her expertise with contemporary composers and opera. She was the first woman to conduct a production at Milan’s La Scala and served as chief conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. Mälkki has led performances for opera houses, symphonies, and contemporary ensembles throughout North America and Europe.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What is Susanna Mälkki known for in the world of music?
Susanna Mälkki, born in Helsinki, Finland, is a celebrated conductor known for her expertise with contemporary composers and operas. She is the first woman to conduct a production at Milan’s La Scala (2011) and served as chief conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra starting in 2016–17.
Mälkki is known for championing contemporary works by composers such as Thomas Adès, Thea Musgrave, and György Ligeti. Also an internationally regarded opera conductor, Mälkki has led notable productions, including Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro and Unsuk Chin’s contemporary Alice in Wonderland. In 2021, Mälkki debuted at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, conducting the world premiere of Saariaho’s opera Innocence with the London Symphony Orchestra.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What are some important orchestras Susanna Mälkki has worked with?
Susanna Mälkki is a Finnish conductor known for her work with contemporary composers and opera. She was the first woman to conduct a production at Milan’s La Scala (2011) and chief conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra beginning in 2016–17.
Mälkki was the music director of the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Norway, from 2002 to 2005. In 2006, she became the first woman music director of the Ensemble Intercontemporain chamber orchestra in Paris. In 2017, she was tapped by the Los Angeles Philharmonic as its principal guest conductor. Mälkki has also conducted with the London Symphony Orchestra.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How has Susanna Mälkki influenced classical and modern music?
Susanna Mälkki, a Finnish conductor, is known for her work with contemporary composers and opera, and for being the first woman to conduct a production at Milan’s La Scala in 2011.
Mälkki is known for championing contemporary works by composers such as Thomas Adès, Thea Musgrave, and György Ligeti. She has also conducted works by classical composers, and has led opera productions such as The Marriage of Figaro, Jenufa, and Unsuk Chin’s contemporary Alice in Wonderland.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Why is Susanna Mälkki considered a role model in the world of conducting?
Susanna Mälkki is considered a role model in conducting for several reasons. She is especially known for being the first woman to conduct a production at Milan’s La Scala in 2011. Also, in 2016, she became chief conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, joining a small number of women in classical music to rise to that rank. She is known for her expertise in classical compositions and for championing contemporary works. Mälkki was appointed principal guest conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2017, the first woman and person in a generation to hold the position.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Susanna Mälkki (born March 13, 1969, Helsinki, Finland) is a Finnish conductor, especially of contemporary composers and opera, known for being the first woman to conduct (2011) a production at Milan’s La Scala and for serving as chief conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra beginning in 2016–17.
Mälkki grew up in Vuosaari, a suburb of Helsinki. She cemented her interest in music in the 1980s at summer camp and soon after began studying cello more seriously. In 1994 she won the Turku National Cello Competition in Finland, and in 1995 she secured first cello in the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, the national orchestra of Sweden, where she remained through 1998. While still a concert cellist, she studied conducting at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and chose to pursue that musical avenue. From 2002 to 2005 Mälkki was the music director of the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Norway, and in 2006 she became the first woman music director of the Ensemble Intercontemporain chamber orchestra (founded by Pierre Boulez in 1976) in Paris. During her years in that role, she was guest conductor for opera houses, symphonies, chamber orchestras, and contemporary ensembles throughout North America and Europe, significantly for La Scala in 2011; she was the first woman ever to conduct a production in that opera company’s history.
Though Mälkki was known for her expertise in conducting works by classical composers, she was particularly recognized for championing contemporary works by composers such as Thomas Adès, Thea Musgrave, and György Ligeti. She was also an internationally regarded conductor of opera. Notable opera productions led by Mälkki included Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro (Finnish National Opera, 2014), Leoš Janácek’s Jenufa (Hamburg State Opera, 2014), and Unsuk Chin’s contemporary Alice in Wonderland (Los Angeles Philharmonic, in collaboration with the Los Angeles Opera, 2015).
In 2015 Mälkki was appointed chief conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (to commence in the 2016–17 season), joining only a handful of women who had risen to that rank in the classical music world. She was also tapped by the Los Angeles Philharmonic to serve, beginning in 2017, as its principal guest conductor—making her the first woman and the first person in a generation to hold that post. In the 2016–17 season she had her debut with New York City’s Metropolitan Opera, leading the company’s first performances of L’Amour de loin by Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho. Mälkki appeared at the Paris Opera, conducting the world premiere of Luca Francesconi’s Trompe-la-Mort (2017), Antonín Dvořák’s Rusalka (2019), and Philippe Boesmans’s Yvonne, princesse de Bourgogne (2020). She also conducted Gottfried von Einem’s Dantons Tod at the Vienna State Opera (2018). In 2021 Mälkki debuted at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, conducting the world premiere of Saariaho’s opera Innocence with the London Symphony Orchestra. Her tenure at the Los Angeles Philharmonic ended in 2022.
Her honours included the Pro Finlandia Medal of the Order of the Lion of Finland, which she received in 2011. In addition, Mälkki was a fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in London and a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.