The Kymi Sinfonietta launched a new artistic planning policy in collaboration with two Artistic Partners in Autumn season 2023. These partners has addressed various aspects of the orchestra as befits their own genres and expertise, together with the orchestra’s management and the program committee. The first two Artistic Partners have been Topi Lehtipuu and Jukka Perko. Kymi Sinfonietta has appointed conductor Nathanaël Iselin as its Artistic Partner from the autumn season 2026 onwards. Jukka Perko’s work as the orchestra’s second Artistic Partner will also continue in the future. Going forward, the orchestra will therefore have two Artistic Partners, Iselin and Perko.
Jukka Perko was still only a teenager when he first made a name for himself in jazz circles at Pori Jazz in summer 1986. The very next year he was invited to join the 70th anniversary tour band of legendary trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. Perko is famous for his numerous highly-acclaimed line-ups and broad repertoire as the guest soloist with big bands and symphony orchestras. He is also Artistic Director of the Viapori Jazz Festival and, with violinist Elina Vähälä, of the Oulu Music Festival, and he teaches at the Sibelius Academy. Perko and the Kymi Sinfonietta have collaborated numerous times over the years. “One of the best things about playing with the Kymi Sinfonietta has,” said Perko in 2023, “been that in addition to hitting the right note together, we have always found a common beat. There must be something in the tap water of jazz-city Kotka and Kouvola. It will be a special pleasure and privilege to begin working with the orchestra as an Artistic Partner. And I’m not just saying this to be polite, because I come from the other side of Finland.”
French-born Nathanaël Iselin won the prestigious Jorma Panula Conducting Competition in 2021, at which time he was also awarded the orchestra’s special prize. Iselin has conducted, among others, the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, the Copenhagen Philharmonic, the Opéra Orchestre Montpellier, and the Stockholm Folkopera. He has also served as Resident Conductor of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. By background, Iselin is a percussionist and pianist. Iselin’s studies in orchestral conducting have taken place at the Sibelius Academy (under the guidance of Sakari Oramo), the Paris Conservatory, Zurich University of the Arts, and the Royal Danish Academy of Music.
Iselin commented on his appointment as follows:
“I first conducted the Kymi Sinfonietta in 2023, leading a wonderful program of Mozart, Wagner, and Schumann with prize-winning pianist Piotr Pawlak. From the very first rehearsal, I felt an immediate and genuine connection with the musicians. The atmosphere on stage was warm and collaborative, and it was clear that everyone shared a deep passion for music and a commitment to performing at the highest level. I believe the audience sensed this enthusiasm as well, and the two concerts we gave together were a true joy.
It was therefore a great pleasure to return in 2025 for another concert, this time alongside the brilliant violinist Elina Vähälä, beloved by the Kymi audience. The experience reinforced my appreciation for the orchestra and its musicians, and I could not have been more thrilled when I was subsequently offered the role of Artistic Partner.
I am filled with excitement and have many creative projects in mind, which I look forward to sharing with Kymi Sinfonietta’s audience in the months to come!”