Turku Philharmonic Orchestra

Finland’s oldest orchestra, the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, also ranks among the world’s longest-established symphonic ensembles. Under the widely admired yet unorthodox direction of Leif Segerstam, the ensemble—already respected within Finland’s network of regional orchestras—has extended its reputation well beyond national borders.

Established in 1790 as Turun Soitannollinen Seura, the Musical Society of Turku (its Finnish name today is Turun Filharmoninen Orkestri), the orchestra performed works by Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven while those composers were still alive. It functioned as a private society until 1927, when the city of Turku assumed administrative control; at that time the roster comprised only 27 players, a figure that has since expanded to 74. Tauno Hannikainen became the first chief conductor after the municipal transition, and the majority of his successors have likewise been Finnish. The few non-Finnish exceptions have been Igor Bezrodnyi (1986–1990), Jacques Mercier (1990–1995), and Tibor Bogányi (2003–2006). Hannu Lintu held the chief post from 1998 to 2001. A decisive step forward occurred in 1952 with the orchestra’s relocation to Turku Concert Hall, the first building in Finland designed expressly for concert use; after an acoustic refurbishment begun in the late 1990s, the ensemble continues to appear in the thousand-seat auditorium. Following Petri Sakari’s tenure (2007–2011), Segerstam took over as chief conductor in 2012. Although the orchestra had previously issued occasional recordings, chiefly of Finnish repertoire, Segerstam raised its profile substantially. He has directed sessions for the Alba and Naxos labels, among them a Naxos series devoted to rarely heard Sibelius scores and an unconventional Alba cycle of the Brahms symphonies. The final installment of the Brahms project appeared in 2019, the same year Segerstam led the orchestra in Beethoven’s oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives, Op. 85.