Osmo Vänskä

Osmo Antero Vänskä (born 28 February 1953, Sääminki, Finland) is a Finnish conductor, clarinetist and composer.

He started his musical career as an orchestral clarinetist with the Turku Philharmonic (1971–76).^[1] He then became the principal clarinet of the Helsinki Philharmonic from 1977 to 1982. During this time, he started to study conducting with Jorma Panula at the Sibelius Academy, where his classmates included Esa-Pekka Salonen and Jukka-Pekka Saraste. In 1982, he won the Besançon Young Conductor's Competition.

Vänskä became principal guest conductor of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra in 1985, and chief conductor in 1988. He concluded his tenure with the Lahti Symphony Orchestra in 2008 and is now the orchestra's Conductor Laureate. His complete set of Sibelius symphonies with the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, also on the BIS label, has gathered widespread acclaim. He has recorded extensively with his Lahti orchestra for the BIS label, including music of Kalevi Aho, Einojuhani Rautavaara, Bernhard Crusell, Uuno Klami, Tauno Marttinen, Robert Kajanus, Sofia Gubaidulina, Joonas Kokkonen, Jan Sandström, and Fredrik Pacius.

Vänskä was chief conductor of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra from 1993–1996. In 1996, he was appointed chief conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (BBCSSO), and served in that capacity until 2002. With the BBCSSO, he made recordings of the complete Carl Nielsen symphonies for the BIS label.^[2]

In 2003, he became the music director of the Minnesota Orchestra. Vänskä and the orchestra have received critical praise, and he is generally regarded as having enhanced the quality of the orchestra.^[3] In 2004, Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra began a five-year project to record the complete Beethoven symphonies on the BIS label.^[4] In 2005, Vänskä signed a contract extension with the Minnesota Orchestra through at least 2011. In September 2009, the orchestra announced the extension of Vänskä's contract through the 2014-2015 season.^[5]

In May 2008, an orchestral piece composed by Vänskä titled "The Bridge" was premiered by the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, led by William Schrickel, assistant-principal bassist of the Minnesota Orchestra. Vänskä himself attended the world premiere.

Vänskä and his wife Pirkko, a freelance drama critic, have three grown children, one of whom, Olli, plays violin in the Finnish folk metal band Turisas. On 20 March 2009, the couple announced that they were filing for divorce.^[6] He maintains a residence in Minneapolis. In private life, one of his hobbies is riding motorcycles.^[7]

References

1. ^ David Patrick Stearns, "Making His Mark: Osmo Vänskä". andante.com (overall site now defunct), February 2004.
2. ^ Andrew Clements (15 April 2005). "'For my next trick...'". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2005/apr/15/classicalmusicandopera1. Retrieved 2007-01-28. 
3. ^ Jay Nordlinger (15 February 2007). "A Glorious Dawn, in Sound & Spirit". New York Sun. http://www.nysun.com/article/48706. Retrieved 2007-02-24. 
4. ^ James R. Oestreich (17 December 2006). "A Most Audacious Dare Reverberates". New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=980CE0DE1531F934A25751C1A9609C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all. Retrieved 2007-02-24. 
5. ^ "Music Director Osmo Vänskä Extends Contract With Minnesota Orchestra" (Press release). Minnesota Orchestra. 24 September 2009. http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/about/news_story.cfm?id_news=18873384. Retrieved 2009-09-29. 
6. ^ "Vanska, wife to end 35 year marriage." Star Tribune, 20 March 2009.[1]
7. ^ Alex Ross (14 and 21 February 2005). "Osmosis". The Guardian. http://www.newyorker.com/critics/content/articles/050214crmu_music. Retrieved 2006-12-08. 

Literature

• Michael Anthony: Osmo Vänskä: Orchestra Builder. Kirk House Publishers. ISBN 978-1-933794-20-4

External links

• Osmo Vänskä at thisisFINLAND
• Osmo Vänskä at Hyperion Records
• Osmo Vänskä at Minnesota Orchestra
• Anthony Tommasini, "Surprising And Bold, Even if Not In the Club". New York Times, 11 February 2004 (review of Carnegie Hall concert)
• Interview with Osmo Vanska from InDigest Magazine.

Preceded by Ulf Söderblom	Chief Conductor, Lahti Symphony Orchestra 1988–2008	Succeeded by Jukka-Pekka Saraste (artistic advisor)
Preceded by Petri Sakari	Chief Conductor, Iceland Symphony Orchestra 1993–1996	Succeeded by Petri Sakari
Preceded by Jerzy Maksymiuk	Chief Conductor, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra 1996-2002	Succeeded by Ilan Volkov

Persondata
Name	Vanska, Osmo
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Date of birth	28 February 1953
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