As conductor and composer, Esa-Pekka Salonen is keeping classical music vital

Former LA Phil conductor is moving the music forward with London's Philharmonia Orchestra

Esa Pekka Salonen
Esa Pekka Salonen

He views that very act of composition as an optimistic gesture. And given his single-mindedness, he views conducting the same way.

“People who hear a masterpiece, say, Mahler Nine (the symphony the Philharmonia will perform in San Diego), it’s very hard (for them) not to be moved by it,” he said. “I’d think after an experience like that you would not be prone to destructive thinking or destructive action. Quite the contrary: When you have had a great artistic experience, you come out of it and you realize how wonderful it is to be alive, how wonderful it is to be able to see and hear and smell and taste things and feel. And how lucky you are to have people around you who have shared the same experience as you.

“These are the things that make it a profound communal experience, i.e., we discover that there’s more that unites us as opposed to things that divide us.” Twitter: @sdutchute Facebook: UTArtMusic


