The 35-year old Finnish conductor Pietari Inkinen’s career is strongly on rise. His first season as Chief Conductor of Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele in Germany is currently going on, and in September begins his new post as Chief Conductor of Prague Symphony Orchestra. In addition, he will be entering his 8^th season as Music Director of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and it was just announced that he will be the Chief Conductor of the Japan Philharmonic during 2016–2017. 

Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele is one of the oldest German festivals, and its orchestra, founded in 1972, is well known by their recordings and concerts around the world. This year, the festival includes also a lot of Finnish music. The opening concert already included music by Sibelius, as well as well-known Finnish singers Helena Juntunen, Jorma Hynninen, and the male choir Ylioppilaskunnan laulajat. Inkinen will conduct Einojuhani Rautavaara’s 8^th symphony at the festival on 11.7.2015

Inkinen’s opening concert with the Prague Symphony on 16^th September features Esa-Pekka Salonen’s LA Variations as Czech premiere as well as music by the Czech masters Martinů and Dvořák. Another Czech premiere is coming up later during the season, as Inkinen conducts Einojuhani Rautavaara’s Isle of Bliss on 2.3.2016.