Conductor Tarmo Peltokoski Signs with Deutsche Grammophon

The 23-year-old Finnish conductor will release his debut album on the label in May 2024

The 23-year-old Finnish conductor and pianist Tarmo Peltokoski has signed an exclusive contract with the German label Deutsche Grammophon. His first disc on the label, a recording of Mozart's Symphonies nos. 35, 36, and 40, was recorded in February with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and will be released in May 2024.

The disc also includes Peltokoski performing three short piano improvisations, each of which is a companion piece for the three Mozart symphonies.

First beginning the piano at the age of 8, Tarmo Peltokoski began learning conducting from the Finnish teacher Jorma Panula at 14 and continued his studies with Sakari Oramo at Helsinki's Sibelius Academy. His mentors also include Hannu Lintu, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, and Esa-Pekka Salonen.

Peltokoski is Music Director Designate of the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Music and Artistic Director of the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, and Principal Guest Conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. He is also the first-ever Principal Guest Conductor of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen.

"I can barely express how much this signing means to me," Peltokoski said. "It’s a great honor to join Deutsche Grammophon, especially as their recordings have been such an important part of my life. I even have the album cover of Karajan’s Ring cycle as the background picture on my phone."

"The DG logo was missing from the image I chose but I photo-shopped it in, long before Deutsche Grammophon had heard of me! It’s a luxury to perform Mozart with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, and to put these three symphonies on record is a dream come true."

"While I had heard lots of positive comments about Tarmo beforehand, I was unprepared for the impact of seeing him rehearse and perform for the first time," said Dr Clemens Trautmann, the President of Deutsche Grammophon. "His charisma, energy and natural authority were absolutely remarkable, and his understanding of hidden voices and musical features in seemingly well-known scores was breathtaking."

"Tarmo’s innate enthusiasm and interest in communal music-making are especially palpable in his collaboration with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, and we look forward to sharing their thrilling take on Mozart with the widest possible audience."