Tarmo Peltokoski

“A talent of a century”
(Tagesspiegel)

“Disconcerting, breathtaking,tearjerkingly beautiful. Even writing about it brings back goosebumps. How he did it is a mystery but the most beautiful concert of the year was played in Rotterdam. Tarmo Peltokoski. Write that name down.”
(NRC Rotterdam)

“Watch out—here comes a genius! … Peltokoski not only has phenomenal technique, but an energy, a musical instinct, a stylistic and expressive clarity as well as fiery dynamics, all of which leave one speechless.”
(Diapason Magazine, Rémy Louis)

Finnish conductor Tarmo Peltokoski was awarded the title of “Principal Guest Conductor” in January 2022 by The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, the first conductor to hold this position in the orchestra’s 42-year history.

In May 2022, Peltokoski was named Music and Artistic Director of the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra. He starts his term in the 22/23 season. He was subsequently named Principal Guest Conductor of the Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest. In August 2022 at the age of 22, he completed his first Wagner Ring cycle at the Eurajoki Bel Canto Festival. In December 2022, Peltokoski was announced as Music Director of the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse.

Last season he made highly successful debuts with the hr-Sinfonieorchester, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and the Rotterdam Philharmonic.

In the summer of 2022 he appeared at Rheingau Musik Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Beethovenfest Bonn, and Musikfest Bremen.

In the 22/23 season Tarmo Peltokoski has conduct the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, RSB Berlin, the Hallé, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, Göteborgs Symfoniker, San Diego Symphony and the Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. He returned to Eurajoki Bel Canto Festival to conduct Tristan und Isolde.

In summer 2023 he will work with Latvian National Symphony in Riga for Siegfried.

In the 23/24 season Tarmo Peltokoski will conduct Don Giovanni at the Finnish National Opera. In the fall he will be returning to Rotterdam Philharmonic and make his debut with The National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, DC both with Yuja Wang as soloist. Early 2024 sees him presenting both Mahler's Fourth Symphony and a complete Prokofiev Piano Concerto Cycle with Jan Lisiecki, both with the The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. In July 2024, Peltokoski is set to conduct Bruckner's Symphony No. 9 in Toulouse and Wagner's Götterdämmerung in Riga.

He will debut with Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, at Pfingstfestspiele Baden Baden and with The Oslo Philharmonic.

He has and will work with soloists such as Yuja Wang, Asmik Grigorian, Matthias Goerne, Jan Lisiecki, Julia Fischer, Golda Schultz, Martin Fröst, Janine Jansen, Leonidas Kavakos, Chen Reiss, and Sol Gabetta.

Tarmo Peltokoski began his studies with professor emeritus Jorma Panula at the age of 14 and studied with Sakari Oramo at the Sibelius Academy. He has also been taught by Hannu Lintu, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, and Esa-Pekka Salonen.

Also an acclaimed pianist, he studied piano at the Sibelius Academy with Antti Hotti. His piano playing has been awarded at many competitions and he has appeared as a soloist with all major Finnish orchestras.

In 2022 he received the Lotto Prize at Rheingau Musik Festival and in 2023 he received the OPUS Klassik for his recording with The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen.

In addition Tarmo Peltokoski has also studied composing and arranging, and especially enjoys music comedy and improvisation.