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Finnish conductor Tarmo Peltokoski will become Music Director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in the 2026/27 season following his tenure as Music Director Designate in 2025/26. He currently serves as Music and Artistic Director of the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest, and the first-ever Principal Guest Conductor of The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, a position he has held since 2022. In December 2022, Peltokoski was announced as Music Director of the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, a position he will start in the 2025/26 season.
Widely praised for his exceptional technique and expressive clarity, Peltokoski has led renowned orchestras around the world, including Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Israel Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He conducted his first full Ring Cycle at age 22 at the Eurajoki Bel Canto Festival, where he returned in 2023 for Tristan und Isolde. His upcoming Wagner opera productions include Parsifal (Riga, 2025), Tristan und Isolde (Dutch National Opera, February 2026), and his debut at Deutsche Oper Berlin with Parsifal (April 2026).
Peltokoski began conducting at the age of 14 under the guidance of Jorma Panula, and later studied with Sakari Oramo at the Sibelius Academy. His mentors include Hannu Lintu, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, and Esa-Pekka Salonen. In October 2023, he signed an exclusive recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon. His debut album of Mozart symphonies with The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen was released in May 2024 and received critical acclaim. He is a 2023 OPUS Klassik winner.