Music Director
Tarmo Peltokoski
Music Director / Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
Music Director / Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse
Principal Guest Conductor / The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen
Principal Guest Conductor / Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest
Conductor Laureate / The Latvian National Symphony Orchestra
Exklusivkünstler / Konzerthaus Dortmund
“A talent of a century.” – Tagesspiegel
“Disconcerting, breathtaking, tearjerkingly beautiful… the most beautiful concert of the year was played in Rotterdam. Tarmo Peltokoski. Write that name down.” – NRC Rotterdam
“The Finnish conducting miracle.” – Tagesspiegel
“Watch out – here comes a genius! …Peltokoski not only has phenomenal technique, but an energy, a musical instinct, a stylistic and expressive clarity as well as fiery dynamics, all of which leave one speechless.” – Diapason Magazine
In the 2026/27 season, Finnish conductor Tarmo Peltokoski begins his tenure as Music Director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, having served as Music Director Designate in the preceding season. He also serves as Music Director of the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse as well as Principal Guest Conductor of the Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest. He is continuing his three-year residency as “Exklusivkünstler” at Konzerthaus Dortmund, which began in the 2025/26 season.
Peltokoski’s international career developed rapidly from 2022 onwards. In January 2022, he became Principal Guest Conductor of The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, the first conductor to hold the position in the orchestra’s history. In May of the same year, he was appointed Music and Artistic Director of the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, beginning his tenure in the 2022/23 season and after three years, he became Conductor Laureate of that orchestra.
Highlights of the 2026/27 season include his highly anticipated debut at the Bayreuther Festspiele with a new production of Lohengrin (July/August 2027) as well as a new production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, which will open the 26/27 season at Zurich Opera.
In recent seasons, Peltokoski has made debuts with the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic, Filarmonica della Scala, Toronto Symphony, NHK Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Zürich, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Göteborgs Symfoniker as well as SWR Symphonieorchester at Pfingstfestspiele Baden-Baden, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and Bayerisches Staatsorchester.
Summer festival debuts include the Rheingau Musik Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Beethovenfest Bonn, the Verbier Festival, Musikfest Bremen and Festival de Música y Danza Granada. In August 2022, at the age of 22, he completed his first Wagner Ring cycle at the Eurajoki Bel Canto Festival. He returned to the festival in April 2023 to conduct Tristan und Isolde.
Further notable engagements in recent seasons include Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the Finnish National Opera (October 2023), Wagner’s Siegfried (2023), Götterdämmerung (2024), Parsifal (2025) and Lohengrin (2026) in Riga; his BBC Proms debut at the Royal Albert Hall with the BBC Symphony Orchestra (September 2024); Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer in Luxembourg and Brussels (May 2025); Tristan und Isolde with Dutch National Opera (February 2026); and his debut at Deutsche Oper Berlin with Parsifal (April 2026).
Tarmo Peltokoski has worked with soloists including Yuja Wang, Asmik Grigorian, Matthias Goerne, Julia Fischer, Golda Schultz, Martin Fröst, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Janine Jansen, Martin Helmchen, Leonidas Kavakos, Camilla Nylund and Sol Gabetta.
He began his conducting studies at the age of 14 with Professor Emeritus Jorma Panula and continued his training with Sakari Oramo at the Sibelius Academy. He has also been taught by Hannu Lintu, Jukka-Pekka Saraste and Esa-Pekka Salonen.
An accomplished pianist too, Peltokoski studied with Antti Hotti at the Sibelius Academy. His piano playing has been recognised with awards at numerous competitions and he has appeared as a soloist with all major Finnish orchestras.
In October 2023, Tarmo Peltokoski signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon and his debut album followed in May 2024. In March 2026, he released a new recording of Der Ring – An Orchestral Adventure with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 2022, he received the Lotto Prize at Rheingau Musik Festival and in 2023 he received the OPUS Klassik for his recording with The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen.
In addition Tarmo Peltokoski has studied composing and arranging and has a particular passion for music comedy and improvisation.
The HK Phil 2024/25 Season Opening concert is now available on Deutsche Grammophon’s platform Stage+
Tarmo Peltokoski & Daniel Lozakovich in Sibelius & Bruckner
Complete concert video available at Stage+.
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