Around the Music Festival

The Finnish conductor Pietari Inkinen has been announced to be appointed as the conductor of the new “Ring of the Nibelung” series at the Bayreuth Festival. The new series will be staged in 2020 under the direction of Valentine Schwartz.

Inkinen is 39 years old, born in Kouvola, Finland. He began to play violin at the age of four, and studied Conducting in addition to violin at the Sibelius Conservatory. He received instruction from Jorma Panula, Leif Segerstam and others. After going to Cologne Music University, he studied under Zakhar Bron. He was fourth in the 8th International Sibelius Violin Competition.

After that, he turned to the conductor. He became music director of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in 2008. In 2009, he became a principal guest conductor of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. After that, he became Chief Conductor in 2016. The term is extended to the 2020/2021 season. Since 2015 he has also served as the principal conductor of the Prague Symphony Orchestra.

He was the first to perform all works for “Ring of the Nibelung” in 2013. He is responsible for directing the first performance of Opera Australia.

Photo：Japan Philharmonic Orchestra　/　Rikimaru Hotta