Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Since the appointment of Sakari Oramo as Chief Conductor of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra in August 2003, HarrisonParrott has been intrinsic in formulating an international touring strategy to enhance the reputation and standing of this fine orchestra. Each season they give concerts throughout Europe and further afield and in autumn 2011 unveiled the stunning new concert hall in Helsinki, the Musikkitalo. Hannu Lintu took over as Chief Conductor of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra at the start of the 2013/14 season, and HarrisonParrott is delighted to continue to work on a number of exciting new ventures with them, including a recent tour to Spain and Italy.

Toimii Ensemble
(Finnish "It works!") is an ensemble for new music founded in 1981 by Finnish composer Magnus Lindberg with Esa-Pekka Salonen and several other young composers and instrumentalists connected to the Sibelius Academy. It has appeared in Finland and abroad, for instance at the Time of Music festival in Viitasaari, at the Helsinki Festival, at the Tampere Biennale, at the Warsaw Autumn contemporary music festival, and in Amsterdam, Brussels, Hamburg, London, Stockholm and Paris.

The ensemble has appeared as the soloist ensemble in Magnus Lindberg's KRAFT since 1985. Of the basic lineup of the Toimii Ensemble, the following appear on KRAFT: cellist Anssi Karttunen, clarinettist Kari Kriikku, composer and pianist Magnus Lindberg, conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor and percussionist Riku Niemi and sound engineer Professor Juhani Liimatainen, who handles sound amplification, live electronics and tapes. Percussionist Lasse Erkkilä also makes an appearance.

Sakari Oramo
is Chief Conductor of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, and from the beginning of the 2013/14 season, Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, a position which began with the First Night of the Proms in July 2013. Oramo is also Principal Conductor of the West Coast Kokkola Opera and the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra. After a decade as Chief Conductor of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, he became Honorary Conductor of the orchestra in the 2012/13 season. Between 1998 and 2008, he was Music Director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

This season, highlights include performances at the Enescu Festival in Bucharest with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and a ‘Total Immersion’ project featuring the music of Villa-Lobos at London’s Barbican Centre with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Anu Komsi.

The 2012/13 season included performances with the Wiener Philharmoniker, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and hr-Sinfonieorchester as well as the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia and a successful tour of North America with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition, Oramo is also a regular guest conductor at the NDR Sinfonieorchester, San Francisco Symphony, New York Philharmonic and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Esa-Pekka Salonen
studied at the Sibelius Academy and made his conducting début with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra in 1979. From 1985-1995 he was Music Director of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, and also in 1985 took up the post of Principal Guest Conductor of The Philharmonia which he held until 1994. He was Director of the Helsinki Festival in 1995 and 1996. Since 1992, he has been Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.

Salonen is renowned for his interpretations of contemporary music. He is the recipient of many major awards including the Siena Prize by the Accademia Chigiana in 1993, the first conductor ever to receive the prize. In 1995 he was awarded the Royal Philharmonic Society's 'Opera Award' and in 1997 received their 'Conductor Award'. In 1998 he was awarded the rank of Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government.

Esa-Pekka Salonen is recognised as an accomplished composer. He studied with Niccolo Castiglioni and Franco Donatoni in Italy. In January 1997 he premièred LA Variations with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, by whom it was commissioned, followed by performances with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. Foreign Bodies, for orchestra, was premièred at the 2001 Schleswig Holstein Festival followed by the UK première at the BBC Proms. He premièred his most recent work for orchestra, Insomnia (commissioned by Suntory Ltd and the NDR) with the NKH Symphony Orchestra at Suntory Hall, Tokyo in November, 2002. Written for the opening of Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2004 Salonen wrote Wing on Wing as a gift to the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. His latest orchestral work Helix was commissioned by the BBC Proms and received its première on 27 August 2005 by the World Orchestra for Peace under Valery Gergiev.

Jukka-Pekka Saraste
(b. 1956) has established himself as one of the exceptional conductors of his generation, demonstrating considerable musical depth and integrity. He has been music director of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra since the 2006/07 season. He previously held positions as music director of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (1987-2001) and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (1994-2001). From 2002 to 2005 he was principal guest conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. For the Finnish Chamber Orchestra he founded the Tammisaari Festival. Guest conductor engagements have included the Filarmonica della Scala in Milan, the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, the London Philharmonic, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam, the Chicago Symphony, the Boston Symphony and the Orchestre National de France.

A strong champion of new music, Saraste has a long association with Finnish composers Saariaho, Lindberg and Salonen, and his visit to the Proms in 2000 with the BBC Symphony Orchestra included the UK première of Berio's Trombone Concerto 'Solo'. He gave the Canadian première of Henze's Symphony No. 8 in his final season as Music Director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in 2001.

As Music Director of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra for fourteen years, he created an orchestra much admired by audiences and critics in Finland and abroad. They have toured extensively together, including major festivals such as the Edinburgh International Festival and the BBC Proms.