Anna-Maria Helsing has been appointed principal guest conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra, on a three-year contract. The Finnish musician is one of the Nordic countries' leading conductors.
When she joined the Oulu Symphony Orchestra in 2010, she became the first woman to be appointed chief conductor of a Finnish symphony orchestra. Helsing’s first appearances with the BBC Concert Orchestra were in January 2019 at the Watford Colosseum, where she conducted a programme featuring violinist Jennifer Pike, and in June 2019 at the Southbank Centre in London.
'I am both delighted and thrilled at the prospect of further developing my collaboration with the BBC Concert Orchestra as their new principal guest conductor,' says Helsing. 'The orchestra, with so many high calibre musicians, offers exciting artistic opportunities and I can hardly wait to explore what we can achieve together.'
Helsing joins a team of BBC Concert Orchestra conductors that currently comprises Bramwell Tovey, Barry Wordsworth and Keith Lockhart. She'll also join several fellow Finns in the current family of BBC orchestral conductors, with Sakari Oramo and Dalia Stasevska at the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and John Storgårds at the BBC Philharmonic.
Her first engagement with the BBC Concert Orchestra as principal conductor designate will take place at Maida Vale on 13 December 2019, live on BBC Radio 3’s Afternoon Concert. Future appearances include a family concert entitled ‘Musical Roots’ at the Southbank on 22 February 2020.
