Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen Knighted

By Dejan Vukosavljevic
(Credit: Palau de la Música Catalana official website)

Famed Finnish conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen has received an Honorary Knighthood by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, for services to music and to relations between the United Kingdom and Finland.

“This is a true personal honor, but more than that, it is meaningful to have artists honored at a national – at a historical – level,” said  Esa-Pekka Salonen in a statement. “It shows an appreciation of art-making as a necessary part of society. A recognition that culture is who we are, not just what we do. I am grateful for my time in London and throughout the United Kingdom with the Philharmonia Orchestra. I share this with them,” concluded the Finnish conductor.

The Finnish conductor currently serves as the Philharmonia Orchestra’s Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor.

Salonen has recently conducted Wagner’s “Das Rheingold” and Debussy’s “Pelléas et Melisande” at the Finnish National Opera, Weill’s “The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny” at the Festival Aix-en-Provence, and Janáček’s “The House of the Dead” at the Opéra National de Paris, among others.

The conductor is scheduled to return for the concert performances of Richard Strauss’ “Elektra” at the Philharmonie de Paris in February 2021.

 

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