Orchestra

Comprising 97 musicians, the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra is one of Scandinavia’s foremost symphony orchestras.

In August 2023, Matthew Halls takes over as the next Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra. In this position, Halls follows the Finnish conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali, who was in the completion of his 10-years term nominated as the Honorary Conductor. Rouvali’s predecessor was Artistic Director Hannu Lintu. Lintu’s predecessor was Chief Conductor John Storgårds. Storgårds’ predecessor, the Estonian Eri Klas, is Conductor Laureate.

In 1990 with the completion of Tampere Hall, a superb concert hall and congress centre, the orchestra literally moved into a brave new world. The vastly improved premises, including a concert hall with a seating capacity of 1,800, has given scope for the orchestra’s further artistic development.

A versatile and dynamic orchestra the local audience loves

The winter season comprises weekly symphony concerts on Fridays and a chamber music series, titled Afternoon of Fauns, held on one Sunday afternoon each month. The orchestra also serves annually as an opera and ballet orchestra and performs regularly at the Tampere Biennale contemporary music festival.

Organising educational projects and various events for young people is also characteristic of the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra. It is the first orchestra in Finland to offer an exclusive club for young listeners.

In recent years, the orchestra has recorded mainly for the Ondine label, with conductors such as Hannu Lintu, Eri Klas, John Storgårds, Tuomas Ollila and Leif Segerstam. So far, 50 recordings have been launched onto national and international markets. The most recent of them feature music by George Enescu, Max Reger, Jukka Tiensuu, Jouni Kaipainen, Einar Englund, Peteris Vasks, John Corigliano, Alma Mahler, Leo Brouwer, Robert Schumann and Jean Sibelius.

Many of the recordings have received excellent reviews and several awards, e.g. the Cannes Classical Special Award: Disc of the Year 2004 and a total of five Cannes Classical Awards. The new classical Emma Award by IFPI Finland was presented to the recording of Jukka Tiensuu’s music in spring 2007.

Founded in 1930, and maintained since 1947 by the City of Tampere, the orchestra built up its initial reputation for competence as a professional orchestra during Eero Kosonen’s 37 years at the helm. The Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra has so far undertaken international concert tours to France, Japan, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Estonia, Germany, Spain and the United States.