Extended contract with Principal Guest Conductor Osmo Vänskä
The Iceland Symphony Orchestra announced today that it has extended Osmo Vänskä's position as Principal Guest Conductor through to the 2019/20 season.
A familiar figure to Icelandic concertgoers, Vänskä was Chief Conductor of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra from 1993 to 1996, and conducted the orchestra´s Carnegie Hall debut in 1996. Since 2010 he has conducted the orchestra annually and took on the post of Principal Guest Conductor in 2014. Vänskä has recorded two award-winning CDs with the orchestra and most recently led them in an acclaimed performance of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No.5 in October 2015.
Speaking about the announcement, Osmo Vänskä said:
"Harpa is a fantastic concert hall and its importance for cultural life in Iceland cannot be overestimated. I am extremely impressed with how the orchestra has improved in quality since moving to Harpa, and it is always a joy to make music with them. I love this orchestra and look forward to our continued collaboration."
Executive Director of Iceland Symphony Orchestra Arna Kristín Einarsdóttir said:
"It is a great honor for the Iceland Symphony to have Osmo Vänskä, one of the world's leading conductors, as its Principal Guest Conductor. With all due respect to all the wonderful conductors that have worked with the Iceland Symphony, Vänskä's collaboration with us, dating back to his years as Chief Conductor in the 1990s, has been extremely important for the orchesta's growth. One of the milestones in the Iceland Symphony's history was the orchestra's first Carnegie Hall concert in 1996, under Vänskä's direction. The concert put the orchestra on the map internationally and received rave reviews from leading critics, including the New York Times. We are extremely proud to have the opportunity to develop our relationship with Vänskä still further in the coming years."
- Next article
- Previous article