Santtu-Matias Rouvali has been chosen as Chief Conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, the National Orchestra of Sweden. He will take up his new position at the beginning of 2017.

The 30-year old conductor has recently been hailed by the Guardian magazine as “the latest sit-up-and-listen talent to emerge from the great Finnish conducting tradition”.

“With his dynamic youthfulness and phenomenal energy, Santtu-Matias Rouvali represents something we firmly believe to be the future in the world of classical music,” comments Sten Cranner, General Manager and Artistic Director of the Gothenburg Symphony on the official press release.

“I am proud to follow in the footsteps of previous Principal Conductors of the Gothenburg Symphony, Neeme Järvi, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel among them”, Rouvali states.

“I have enjoyed some fantastic concerts with the orchestra and look forward to making music with these wonderful musicians again this autumn”, says Rouvali who made his debut programme at Gothenburg Symphony already in August 2014 with works by Richard Strauss, Tchaikovsky and Bernstein.

Santtu-Matias Rouvali is now Chief Conductor of the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the Copenhagen Philharmonic.