International Sibelius Conductors’ Competition to be postponed

Busy schedule of Esa-Pekka Salonen seen as one problem

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According to the daily newspaper Aamulehti, the International Sibelius Conductors’ Competition will not be held in 2010 as scheduled, because the arrangements and the outlines of the programme are incomplete. Neither is it possible to announce any new date for the competition as yet.
     
The fact that the news was published before she could report on any new solutions came as a surprise to Elina Siltanen, the General Manager of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and the Secretary General of the Sibelius Conductors’ Competition.
      ”At present, there is nothing more to report”, Siltanen notes with some annoyance, saying that the format of the competition is currently being reconsidered.
      There have been some speculations about a possible transfer of the competition from Helsinki to another location, but nothing can be reported on this matter, either, says Siltanen.
     
Elina Siltanen points out that the fact that the competition has been postponed is a result of ”several problems relating to the schedules” of the international jury in particular.
      Since the first holding of the event in 1995, the Artistic Director of the Competition and the Chairman of the Jury has been conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, while the Vice Chairman has been conductor Jukka-Pekka Saraste.
     
Salonen became increasingly busy when he was appointed as the Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Philharmonia Orchestra in London in the autumn of 2008. In addition, he will continue as the Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic until the spring of 2009.
      With a number of massive tours in prospect, Salonen’s concert schedule is tighter than ever, reports Siltanen, and gaps in his diary are harder and harder to find.
      In April 2009, Salonen is to conduct his final concerts in Los Angeles, while next week - January 22nd to 24th - he will be geusting with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Chicago.
     
The question of when the next meeting between Siltanen and Salonen is to be held remained unanswered.
      ”We discuss things now and then”, Siltanen notes. ”Now I think this issue should be left without further comment in order that we can reach an answer in peace", she concludes.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  No winner in "disappointing" Sibelius Conductors´ Competition (16.9.2005)
  Competitions highlight autumn season of large Helsinki orchestras (16.8.2005)

Links:
  International Sibelius Conductors´ Competition
  Esa-Pekka Salonen (Wikipedia)

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