Pietari Inkinen

Pietari Inkinen (born 29 April 1980, Kouvola, Finland) is a Finnish violinist and conductor. He began violin and piano studies at age 4. As a youth, he also performed in a rock band. He attended the Sibelius Academy and graduated with diplomas in violin (2003) and conducting (2005). He studied violin at the Hochschule für Musik Köln with Zakhar Bron. Inkinen has performed on a Carlo Bergonzi 1732 violin. He leads a chamber trio, the Inkinen Trio. In May 2007, Inkinen was named the second music director of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. He formally assumed the post in January 2008. In October 2013, the NZSO announced the extension of Inkinen's contract through the 2015 season. Inkinen concluded his NZSO tenure at the end of 2015, and now has the title of Honorary Conductor of the NZSO. He and the NZSO have recorded music of Einojuhani Rautavaara and of Jean Sibelius for the Naxos label, and of Richard Wagner for EMI Classics.In September 2009, Inkinen became principal guest conductor of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. In April 2015, the Japan Philharmonic appointed Inkinen as its next chief conductor, effective September 2016, with an initial contract of 3 seasons. His work in opera has included his conducting of Opera Australia's Melbourne Ring Cycle in 2013, following the resignation of Richard Mills.In Europe, Inkinen was named the new chief conductor of the Ludwigsburg Schlossfestspiele in March 2014, for the period from 2015 through 2017. In October 2014, the Prague Symphony Orchestra announced the appointment of Inkinen as its next chief conductor, as of September 2015. He had first conducted the Prague Symphony Orchestra in 2007. His first guest-conducting appearance with the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern was in 2010. In September 2016, the orchestra named Inkinen its next chief conductor, effective with the 2017-2018 season, with an initial contract of 4 years.In July 2019 it was announced that Inkinen will conduct the new production of Der Ring des Nibelungen at the 2020 Bayreuth Festival.