Jukka-Pekka Saraste is one of the outstanding conductors of his generation, distinguished in particular by his extraordinary musical depth and integrity. Born in Heinola, Finland, he began his career as a violinist before studying conducting with Jorma Panula at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.
From 2010 to 2019, he was principal conductor at the WDR Symphony Orchestra in Cologne. Previously, he was Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, which named him Honorary Conductor at the end of his tenure. He has held principal positions with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and has been Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Artistic Advisor to the Lahti Symphony Orchestra. He founded the Finnish Chamber Orchestra, for which he still serves as Artistic Advisor. He also established the LEAD! Foundation, which offers a mentorship program for young conductors and soloists. Based in Finland, the foundation has already carried out projects in Stockholm, Lausanne, Dortmund and Sofia. Since 2020, the LEAD! Foundation Academy has been holding a master class for conductors as part of the annual Fiskars Summer Festival.
As a guest conductor, Jukka-Pekka Saraste regularly takes the podium of major orchestras worldwide. In recent years he has turned increasingly to opera and has enjoyed great success at the Theater Wien, the Finnish National Opera and the Bavarian State Opera.
Jukka-Pekka Saraste's extensive discography includes the complete symphonies of Sibelius and Nielsen, as well as works by Bartók, Dutilleux, Mussorgsky, Prokofiev and Mahler. With the WDR Symphony Orchestra, he has made numerous recordings on the Hänssler label, including works by Schoenberg, Stravinsky and Bruckner, the four symphonies of Brahms, Mahler's Symphony No. 5 and No. 9, and Bruckner's Symphony No. 8, all highly praised by the press. The successful Cologne cycle of all Beethoven symphonies was released in 2019 and can be considered a legacy of his Cologne tenure.
He has been awarded the Pro Finlandia Prize, the Sibelius Medal, and the Finnish State Prize for Music. He was also awarded honorary doctorates by York University Toronto and the Sibelius Academy Helsinki.