The Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) has announced the appointment of Finnish conductor Hannu Lintu as its new Music Director, effective from the 2026/27 season. Lintu will succeed Maestro Hans Graf, who will conclude his tenure at the end of the 2025/26 season.
Lintu’s previous roles include Chief Conductor of the Finnish National Opera & Ballet, Music Director of the Gulbenkian Orchestra and Choir, Artistic Partner of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, and Chief Conductor of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. In these positions, he has demonstrated a commitment to promoting new compositions and reviving lesser-known works. He also has worked with renowned orchestras such as the Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, BBC Symphony, and London Philharmonic. He recently debuted with the New York and Berlin Philharmonics.
Expressing his enthusiasm about the appointment Lintu said, “I am delighted to be joining the Singapore Symphony Orchestra as its next Music Director. The SSO is an orchestra with a vibrant energy as well as a passion and dedication to artistic growth. I look forward to collaborating with these wonderful musicians and the wider community, and to exploring new creative heights and engaging deeply with audiences both here in Singapore and internationally.”
Mr. Goh Yew Lin, Chair of the Singapore Symphony Group, remarked, “I am thrilled to welcome Hannu Lintu to the SSO family. He is an artist of uncommon breadth who, from his debut concert with the SSO in 2017, demonstrated an immediate and warm rapport with both musicians and audience. We look forward to an exciting musical journey together under his artistic leadership.”
A search committee, formed in 2023 and led by Mr. Goh, conducted a comprehensive search for Graf’s successor. The committee consulted the orchestra through a poll of potential candidates in early 2024, considering the musicians’ commendation for Lintu’s previous engagements with the SSO. The orchestra was kept informed throughout the process via town halls and Musicians’ Committee meetings.
Mr. Kenneth Kwok, Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore Symphony Group, acknowledged Maestro Graf’s contributions: “We are very fortunate to have had Maestro Hans Graf as our Music Director. He brings with him tremendous acclaim, experience, and knowledge as a conductor who has been on the world stage for many years. It was especially challenging for him to lead the orchestra through his first season (2020/21) due to the COVID-19 restrictions. However, it is because of Maestro’s formidable skill in pulling musicians together and building them up as a dynamic unit that we have emerged so strongly from the pandemic, playing again excellent concerts with memorable programmes to full houses of enthusiastic concertgoers who have remarked on the unity of the musicians and the growing musical strength of the orchestra.”
Reflecting on his tenure, Graf commented, “I have always deeply valued the privilege to work with the SSO, this dedicated and passionate group of musicians. It will have been an extraordinary journey of artistic growth, particularly after the initial challenges we faced together due to the pandemic.”
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