The Filipino-Finnish Conductor as Music Sensation
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Conductor Tarmo Peltokoski (Photo by Peter Rigaud. Courtesy of Dorn Music)
He was an award-winning pianist in his teens but has turned to conducting. Now he is a certified European music sensation at age 22!
Manila didn’t know about conductor Tarmo Peltokoski until he conducted the Manila Symphony Orchestra in 2019 with then 15-year-old violinist Jeanne Marquez.
Tarmo Peltokoski with the Manila Symphony Orchestra and soloist Jeanne Marquez in 2019.
The violinist sizzled. But the conductor was phenomenal. Only 19 at the time, he was so impressive he earned several euphoric curtain calls and a standing ovation after Beethoven’s Fifth.
Tarmo is now 22. The latest music news is that the Rotterdam Philharmonic in The Netherlands has named him permanent guest conductor in 2023. He is also music director of the Latvian National Orchestra. On top of that, he was named chief guest conductor of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen — the first to hold that position in 45 years.
The latest news is that he is the recipient of the Lotto Prize with a cash award of 15,000 Euros. This promotional prize of the Rheingau Music Festival (RMF) is given each year to an exceptional emerging artist pursuing a professional music career. The prize acts both as recognition and incentive for the winning artist.
Last September 19, Tarmo returned to Rotterdam Philharmonic for an evening of Gershwin, Strauss, and Sibelius.
Looking back, it looks like last-minute substitutions always did wonders to his young career.
A few months back, he replaced the Russian conducting great Valeri Gergiev who was given the marching order when he refused to take a stand on Putin’s murderous war on Ukraine.
Tarmo’s maiden stint with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra was full of glory with the equally legendary pianist Yuja Wang as his soloist in five performances of Rachmaninoff 1, Variations on A Theme by Paganini and Sibelius’ Second Symphony.
Tarmo Peltokosky conducting the Rotterdam Philharmonic with Yuja Wang as soloist. (From the FB post of Yuja Wang)
Music observer Osmo Buller noted that the 22-year-old Peltokoski charmed the Rotterdam Philharmonic’s audience.
Critic Rahul Gandolahage opined that the concert was the best of the whole past season, which is quite an achievement considering that the orchestra has been conducted by many great maestros. The critic said the show was "stunning, breathtaking and tear-jerking beautiful."
Gandolahage added, “Peltokoski probably heard Sibelius on travel radio when he was born, because he leads from outside and feels the music up to his toes." He was so enchanted by the performance, "I still get goosebumps as I write this." He implored his readers: "Tarmo Peltokoski. Remember the name."
As it turned out, Peltokoski had five evenings of enchanted audiences from The Netherlands to Brussels.
Piano icon Yuja Wang posted on her Instagram account with the video of her and the conductor playing their encore piece, Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No. 5: “It's been a fun week with Rachmaninov, Tarmo Peltokoski and the Rotterdam Philharmonisch Orkest.”
Less than three years after his Manila debut in 2019, the young conductor is taking Europe by storm.
Latvian National Symphony Orchestra director Indra Lukina recounted how the Filipino-Finnish conductor was hired: “In LNSO’s previous seasons, several of the world’s brightest conductors have been invited to perform with them in search of their next director. Peltokoski quickly became a favorite with the ensemble and was appointed to the role four months later. On the second day of rehearsals, it was clear that he was the one we were looking for! He captivated the musicians with his compelling musical ideas and delighted them with his intelligent respect for the music and those performing it. We look forward to a vibrant and eventful journey into the world of music!”
Before MSO in Manila in 2019, Tarmo wrote to the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra and inquired if he could guest conduct the CCP orchestra.
But who would consider a 19-year-old conducting a national orchestra? As expected, he was ignored. He didn’t even get a response.
“Manila didn’t know about conductor Tarmo Peltokoski until he conducted the Manila Symphony Orchestra in 2019.”
One caught up with the conductor after his last Brussels engagement and before his return engagement with Kammerorchester Basel in Switzerland.
He said he really got along well with the celebrity of the hour, Yuja Wang. “We had five fun days together. I guess it helped that I am a pianist, I've always felt close to Rachmaninoff's music and we had especially good time playing encores together. Her pianistic ability is of course from another planet and this was something that I've been dreaming about for years. Never would've guessed that it'd happen so soon.”
Another distinguished soloist he had was the Russian-born Viktoria Mullova, a winner of the 1980 International Jean Sibelius Competition in Helsinki and the gold medal in the 1982 Tchaikovsky Competition. During her tour in Finland in 1983, the Russian violinist made world headlines when she defected to the West. (At about this time, Filipino conductor Redentor Romero privately introduced her to this writer.)
Peltokoski recalled his encounter with Mullova: “Accompanying Mullova in a Sibelius concerto was a special moment for me. I've been watching her performance of that piece from the Sibelius competition in 1980 where she won. The video is also special for other reasons: it was performed in Helsinki and it was conducted by my beloved teacher, Jorma Panula.”
His introduction to the Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen has a special place in his heart; it appointed him chief guest conductor. “For me it's not just an orchestra, they are my family. I love them all and the musicians are my close friends. It's an incredible blessing to have this position with this group of people. They really are the best. Frankfurt's Radio is a very good orchestra and I enjoyed my week there a lot. They are rather Germanic, but that's just the way I like it.”
Good breaks are coming one after another in the world of music.
He reflects: “I know quite well what I'll be doing in the next few years and my calendar is extending all the time further and further. It will take decades to run out of repertoire to explore. I am sure I will not have any trouble knowing what to do. I'm only thankful that I'm able to do what I've wanted since I was a little boy.”
A curious question: what is the Filipino in you?
Said the young maestro: “I spent my childhood eating rice.”
And the key to a good, consistent performance?
“My teacher Jorma Panula and many before him have put it simply: there are only three rules: study scores, study scores, and study scores. Of course, it doesn't end there. One also has to conduct and rehearse well.”
Pablo A. Tariman (at left, with Tarmo Peltokoski and Jeanne Marquez) contributes to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, Vera Files and The Diarist.Ph. He is author of a first book of poetry, Love, Life and Loss – Poems During the Pandemic. He was one of 160 Asian poets who made it in the anthology, The Best Asian Poetry 2021-22 published in Singapore. Born in Baras, Catanduanes, he has three daughters and six grandchildren.
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