Conductor Laureate of the Minnesota Orchestra, where he held the Music Directorship for 19 years, and Music Director of Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra from 2020-2023, Osmo Vänskä is recognised for his compelling interpretations of repertoire of all ages and an energetic presence on the podium. His democratic and inclusive style of work has been key in forging long-standing relationships with many orchestras worldwide.

He returns this season to the Symphony and Philharmonic orchestras of Bamberg, Chicago, Los Angeles, Helsinki, Israel, Houston, Montreal, and Pittsburgh amongst others, while past guest conducting invitations include renowned international ensembles such as the Cleveland, Philadelphia, and San Francisco symphony orchestras in North America; Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, Iceland Symphony, Berlin’s Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester and Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester as well as London Philharmonic Orchestra. He is regularly invited to guest conduct in Asia including with the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony, Shanghai Symphony and China, Hangzhou, Hong Kong and Taiwan philharmonic orchestras.

A distinguished recording artist for the BIS label, Vänskä is currently recording all of Mahler’s symphonies with the Minnesota Orchestra. The Fifth Symphony received a Grammy nomination in 2017 for Best Orchestral Performance. Vänskä and Minnesota have also recorded the complete symphonies of Beethoven and Sibelius to critical acclaim, winning a Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance in 2014 as well as being nominated on several occasions. In 2021 they were voted Gramophone’s ‘Orchestra of the Year’.