24 year old Tarmo Peltokoski has been announced as the next Music Director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic following his position as Music Director Designate for the 2025/26 season. The Finnish conductor is currently Music Director Designate of the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse and will also assume the position of Music Director of the Toulouse-based orchestra in 2025.

Peltokoski made his debut with the Hong Kong Philharmonic in June 2023 conducting Sibelius’ Finlandia, Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto and Shostakovich’s Symphony no. 10 at the 2022/23 Season Finale concert. He is due to conduct the HK Phil’s sold-out 2023/24 Season Finale concerts on 5 & 6 July as well as the opening performances of the 2024/25 Season on 5 & 6 September at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall.

Peltokoski grew up in Finland and studied at Helsinki’s Sibelius Academy under Jorma Panula, whose students have included Esa-Pekka Salonen, Susanna Mälkki, Osmo Vänskä and Klaus Mäkelä. He made his debut conducting the San Diego and Toronto Symphony Orchestras in 2023, and signed a recording contract with Deutsche Gramophon soon after.

Speaking on the new position, Peltokoski said, ‘I am honoured and thrilled to be named Music Director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. I am very much looking forward to lots of inspiring musicmaking with the brilliant HK Phil musicians in the years to come.’ With the Concertmaster of the HK Phil Jing Wang adding, ‘I would like to extend my warmest welcome to Tarmo. His debut concerts with the HK Phil last year were truly inspiring, and his talent was immediately apparent. He is a highly energetic conductor with a great passion for music. The orchestra and I look forward to many years of great music making together in the upcoming seasons.’