“Rouvali made an impressive start as conductor designate of the Philharmonia, turning this relatively offbeat programme into party time,” wrote the Times in June 2019. Finnish conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali had then just begun a regular partnership with the Philharmonia, which appointed him principal conductor for the 2021-2022 season. Rouvali, who at just 35 is also principal conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony and artistic director of the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, values the balance between work and leisure. He sees this as a chance to devote time to his family and his many outdoor passions, from fishing to carpentry, and wants the same for his musicians. “Conducting is about character, you need to be a psychologist. It's about leadership. You need to like being in front of people, to enjoy performing, but you need to know how to handle those people in front of you, how to cooperate”. As the son of two Lahti Symphony Orchestra teachers, he began attending his parents' orchestra rehearsals at a very early age, observing the teamwork between musicians and conductor. He was also enchanted by the rhythmic pacing of the timpani, which he turned a few years later into the eloquent, dancing gesture that sets him apart.

Rouvali shares the stage with Julian Rachlin, an Austrian violinist of Lithuanian origin who has already been one of LuganoMusica's guests. During his 30-year career, he has performed alongside almost all the world's leading orchestras. In this concert, he will perform Felix Mendelssohn's Concerto in E minor, one of the most iconic masterpieces for violin and orchestra.