Osmo Vänskä to Not Extend Contract with Seoul Philharmonic

The Seoul Philharmonic, in South Korea, appointed Osmo Vänskä as its new Music Director in January 2020.

However, in an interview with Van Magazine, Vänskä revealed that he will not be renewing his contract past 2022. "I’ve learned many things during these two years, I’m going on my third year now," he said. "I believe that I have given what I can in these circumstances. I would like to have a chance for someone else to find a way to work with this great orchestra."

When asked by the magazine if he would like to elaborate on the circumstances in Seoul, he replied, "I don’t want to say more publicly."

Vänskä is also stepping down from his long post at the Minnesota Orchestra. For one of his finals concerts, he paid tribute to the late Finnish violinist and composer Jaakko Kuusisto by leading the world premiere of Kuusisto’s Symphony.

From June 10-12, Vänskä will lead Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, which will be recorded for BIS as part of the Minnesota Orchestra’s award-winning Mahler cycle. Upon leaving this role, he will become the orchestra's Conductor Laureate, returning annually to conduct the ensemble.