Hannu Lintu, who is leaving the Finnish National Opera, has been appointed Principal Conductor of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra

/ Culture

Hannu Lintu, who is leaving the Finnish National Opera, has been appointed Principal Conductor of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Conductor Hannu Lintu
Hannu Lintu is one of Finland’s best-known conductors. His impressive career continues in Asia.

Lintu will take up his new post in August 2026, when his tenure as Principal Conductor of the National Opera ends.

The conductor will take up his new post in August 2026 for a three-year contract with an option for two extensions.

The Singapore Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1979, is one of Asia’s most prominent orchestras and a key player in Singapore’s arts scene.

Lintu has been a regular guest of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra since 2017, when he first conducted it.

– Singapore is one of the most fascinating cities in the world, and the orchestra’s energy, passion and commitment to artistic development and quality inspired me to accept the offered vacancy, Lintu says in the press release.

Conductor Hannu Lintu
Linnu’s contract with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra includes 10-12 weeks of concerts per year and recordings. Lintu is also responsible for the orchestra’s touring activities in Asia and Europe.

The workload offered by the National Opera was not enough

In October 2024, Lintu unexpectedly announced that he would not accept the extended season offered at the National Opera.

He will complete his current season, which will end in the spring of 2026, i.e. a few months before the start of the Singapore Championship.

– It’s clear that at some point the National Opera will be replaced by something else, he stated in an interview with Yle in October.

– It is also in the background that there are also offers from elsewhere, he admits in the podcast.

In addition to Singapore, Lintu is interested in Lahti and Lisbon

Lintu will start this year in August as the artistic director of the Sibelius Festival in Lahti. At the same time, the conductor is intensifying his cooperation with Sinfonia Lahti.

Lintu also continues his work in Lisbon as chief conductor of Orquestra Gulbenkian.

The conductor had ordered drugs classified as narcotics from Slovakia. The shipment was left at customs.

– I have been stupid and ordered sleeping pills by mail, Lintu commented after the indictment became public in April 2024.