(Credit: Rudolph Tang)

Tributes from China poured in as news of the passing of Leif Segerstam reached this corner of the world two days ago.

No stranger to the Chinese orchestras and audience, Segerstam has made a lot of visits to China in the 2000s till just before the Covid pandemic struck in early 2020. He was a frequent guest on the podium of the Shanghai Symphony, Beijing Symphony, Shenzhen Symphony, Zhejiang Symphony, Hangzhou Philharmonic and the NCPA orchestras, conducting a wide range of repertoire, including, sometimes, his own outputs.

Maestro Zhang Yi, Artistic Director of Zhejiang Symphony Orchestra and the China National Ballet Orchestra, invited Segerstam to conduct the Zhejiang Symphony in a performance of Tristan, Rienzi and Tannhäuser overtures, Jean Sibelius Symphony No. 7 and Symphony No. 307 of Segerstam’s own creation (a world premiere) in October 2017 in Hangzhou. He recalls how they first met:”It was when Segerstam conducted Malmö Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 9 in Malmö in 2010. He held the audience spellbound, me included. Later I invited him to collaborate with the Zhejiang Symphony by conducting his signature pieces. That concert was an immensely touching and incredible memory.”

Segerstam is equally demanded in the orchestra pit as he is on the podium.The full blooded soundscape and huge dynamic range with which he is famously associated as an opera conductor eventually took him to an unlikely destination: China.

In December 26-27, 2017, the Ministry of Culture of China solicited the artistic leadership of Segerstam by inviting him to conduct a new production of “Mulan” at the Third China Opera Festival hosted by the Jiangsu Centre for the Performing Arts in Nanjing. The triennial festival is regarded as a hall of fame by opera composers, houses, orchestras, conductors, directors and singers in China. The involvement of a foreigner was unthinkable and unprecedented, and Segerstam was the first and only foreign conductor ever engaged by the Festival.

He conducted the two performances of “Mulan”, an opera by Guan Xia based on the Chinese ancient legend of Mulan which was also the source of inspiration for the 1998 Disney animation Mulan. Down in the pit was the St Petersburg State Academic Symphony Orchestra. The title role, created in 2004 by soprano Peng Liyuan or better known as the First Lady or Mrs Xi (yes the wife of the Chinese President is a soprano), was sung by Lei Jia, Peng’s doctoral student.

Tributes to Segerstam poured in by composers and conductors who see him as an enchanting and charismatic being. Mr Guan Xia is saddened by the death of Segerstam :”I was really impressed by his electrifying conducting in the pit of my opera Mulan. The success of that run owed much to him, and to his refined technique on the podium which left the audience an unforgettable and lasting wonderful memory. May he rest in peace.”

Musicians who worked with Segerstam offered their tributes. Micky Wrobleski, American tuba player and Principal Tuba of Suzhou Symphony Orchestra of China, onced played under the baton of Segerstam around 2014. He shares experiences working with him both on and off the stage in Beijing:”On the podium, he tempered every experience with humor and a sense of seriousness that was absolutely palpable. For him, he brought a depth of understanding and knowledge coupled with incredible experience and expertise that most people had never felt in their musical lives. Off the podium, he was generous with his time and advice, he was approachable beyond expectation, and refreshingly honest. His personality alone filled the concert halls he occupied. Rest in peace, dear Maestro.”