Finnish conductor Hannu Lintu is seeking to cultivate a distinctive sound for the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) as he embarks on his first international tour with the ensemble. Less than four months into his tenure as the orchestra’s music director, Lintu is leading the 99-member group on a two-week tour across seven Chinese cities, including Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan, and Xiamen, which concludes on October 25.
Marking the opening of the tour in Shanghai on October 13, which coincided with Lintu’s 59th birthday, the orchestra has already sold approximately 9,500 tickets, achieving nearly full capacity in venues across the itinerary. The tour features two concert programs, prominently highlighting Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in D Major, also known as the “Titan,” performed with varied interpretations in each city.
Lintu, who succeeded Austrian conductor Hans Graf, the SSO’s third music director, is focused on developing greater textural variety and dynamic control within the orchestra, while encouraging adaptability in diverse acoustic environments. Musicians note Lintu’s penchant for introducing spontaneous musical elements during performances, requiring heightened attentiveness throughout concerts.
Born in Rauma, Finland, Lintu previously served as chief conductor of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra from 2013 to 2021. He studied cello, piano, and conducting at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki under renowned pedagogue Jorma Panula. Under Graf’s leadership, the SSO attained significant international recognition, including ranking among the world’s top 25 orchestras by BBC Music Magazine in 2022. Lintu’s approach, however, signals a willingness to challenge and evolve the orchestra’s artistic identity.
A current priority for the SSO is filling several vacant permanent positions, including concertmaster—a role recently filled by Canadian violinist Andrew Beer after a four-year vacancy. Lintu is also committed to enhancing the orchestra’s role as a platform for contemporary Asian music, with plans to expand commissioning of new works by Singaporean composers and to establish a multi-year model similar to that employed by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra.
During the China tour, the orchestra features Singaporean composer Wang Chenwei’s symphonic poem The Sisters’ Islands, which has attracted positive attention on Chinese social media. Lintu draws parallels between Singapore’s evolving musical nationalism and that of 19th-century Europe, where composers incorporated folk themes before progressing to more abstract, modernist styles. He references Finnish composer Jean Sibelius as an exemplar of this progression, envisioning a similar development for Singaporean music.
Lintu also highlights Asian composers such as Toru Takemitsu from Japan and Chen Qigang from China, who have successfully bridged national identity and international appeal. “It is possible to be a national composer and an international composer at the same time. This is our project,” he said, underscoring his vision for both the orchestra and Singapore’s place in the global classical music landscape.
The SSO’s ongoing efforts to define a unique artistic voice, combined with Lintu’s leadership and an expanding repertoire of contemporary works, set the stage for the orchestra’s upcoming 50th anniversary in 2029 and its pursuit of broader recognition in the international music community.