Esa-Pekka Salonen: The maestro departs
11:28 AM PDT, April 11, 2009
CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK
With Esa-Pekka Salonen, L.A. has been in good hands
In November 1984, a reserved, unknown, 26-year-old Finnish composer made his U.S. debut by conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He looked like a teenage movie star and tended to stare at his feet when he spoke in public. He was dynamic and startlingly confident on the podium, but, as he once put it, he was "absolutely not warm" by L.A. standards.
April 12, 2009
Esa-Pekka Salonen's farewell concerts: These notes will echo
Some months ago, Los Angeles Philharmonic President Deborah Borda and her colleagues were discussing a parting gift for the Phil's outgoing music director, Esa-Pekka Salonen.
April 12, 2009
CLASSICAL MUSIC
Esa-Pekka Salonen's colleagues share reminiscences
Some glimpses of the conductor from his friends and colleagues who were asked to share a key memory. The reminiscences were mostly written, at the invitation of The Times. Several were shared in interviews with music critic Mark Swed and staff writer Mike Boehm.
April 12, 2009
Esa-Pekka Salonen: The years in review
Here are excerpts of Times reviews, culled from key performances during Esa-Pekka Salonen's years leading the Phil:
September 28, 2008
CLASSICAL MUSIC
How Esa-Pekka Salonen and L.A. Phil grew together
IMMEDIATELY after conducting the last Los Angeles Philharmonic concert of the 2007-08 season in June, music director Esa-Pekka Salonen took off for Stockholm, where the Swedish Radio Orchestra celebrated his 50th birthday with an affectionately screwball gala. Next he visited his country home in his native Finland, where he composes and recharges. In August, he went to the Finnish capital to conduct at the Helsinki Festival, which he once headed, and then back to Stockholm to do the same at the Baltic Sea Festival, which he started six years ago to increase awareness of environmental issues through music. That was followed by his Vienna Philharmonic debut at the Salzburg Festival in Austria.
Copyright © 2012, Los Angeles Times
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