Santtu-Matias Rouval’s successor has been announced - British conductor Matthew Halls to become Chief Conductor of the Tampere Philharmonic

Matthew Halls will take up his post in autumn 2023, when the orchestra’s long-serving Principal Conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali steps down.

conductor Matthew Halls conducts — Conductor Matthew Halls has also been a guest conductor of the Radio Symphony Orchestra. He made his debut in Tampere last winter.

– I accept my new role with humility and joy, and I look forward to an interesting collaboration in the coming seasons. The exceptional musicianship, inspiring work ethic and energising spirit of experimentation of the Tampere Philharmonic players captivated me from the first minutes of our rehearsals together,” Matthew Halls said in a press release.

This season, the job takes Halls from one continent to another. He continues his long-standing collaboration with the Mozarteum Orchestra in Salzburg and the Houston and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestras, and will make his debut with the Paris Chamber Orchestra.

Halls is a regular guest conductor with the Cleveland Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

A man dressed in a black suit looks at the camera. — Matthew Halls becomes the twelfth Principal Conductor of the Tampere Philharmonic and the third foreigner to hold the post.

– I am convinced that Matthew and our musicians will create impressive musical experiences for our audiences, Oravuo says in the announcement.

Tampere Philharmonic is a full-scale symphony orchestra of 97 musicians, which operates in Finland’s largest concert hall in Tampere-talo.

Matthew Halls becomes the orchestra’s twelfth chief conductor and the third foreigner in the position.