Mastodon As Opera Australia Announce new Ring Conductor: Who Is Pietari Inkinen - The Wagnerian

As Opera Australia Announce new Ring Conductor: Who Is Pietari Inkinen

Written By The Wagnerian on Wednesday 3 July 2013 | 1:41:00 pm

"Pietari Inkinen conducts the Orchestra del Teatro Massimo, unfolding a luscious Wagnerian sound. His interpretation and leadership allow the music to bloom and glow." Peter Krause, Die Welt

"Pietari Inkinen draws warm and confident playing from the orchestra, and supports his singers well, though the empty stage creates acoustic challenges and tension sometimes flags". Shirley Apthorp, The Financial Times


One companies loss is another ones gain

Opera Australia has announced that 33 year old Pietari Inkinen will replace Richard Mills as conductor of The Melbourne Ring Cycle 2013. However, ann as expected, Inkinen will not join Opera Australia until the first orchestral rehearsals start in September - only one month before the cycle premieres. A short rehearsal space for even the most experienced Ring Conductor.

Pietari Inkinen is a Finnish violinist and conductor. He began violin and piano studies at age 4. He attended the Sibelius Academy and graduated with diplomas in violin in 2003 followed by conducting in 2005. He then went on to study violin at the Hochschule für Musik Köln with Zakhar Bron.

In May 2007, Inkinen became the second music director of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra -  formally assuming the post in January 2008.

He and the NZSO have recorded Rautavaara and Sibelius for the Naxos label, and Wagner for EMI Classics on the CD Simon O'Neill - Wagner scenes and arias .  In September 2009, Inkinen became principal guest conductor of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra.


He has of course, already  begun a Ring cycle - their first - with Teatro Massimo. Indeed, this new engagement with the Melbourne Ring should have been impossible,  as he was engaged to conduct the rest of Graham Vick's production of Siegfried and Gotterdammerung in October and November this year. Alas, financial problems at the heavy indebted Teatro Massimo has meant these have been postponed to an as yet unannounced future date.

Should the reader not be familiar with Inkinen's work we have but together a Spotify playlist below that includes all of his commercially recorded work. Also included, is an interview with Inkinen conducted by Hilary Hahn and his Mahler 1 found on  youtube.



Pietari Inkinen conducts Mahler's Symphony No 1