One of the most dynamic and influential conductors of her generation, Susanna Mälkki has decisively reshaped the landscape of classical music. Initially trained as a cellist, Mälkki has since earned a reputation as a formidable interpreter of the classical repertory and as a fearless advocate for its future.
Susanna Mälkki © Marica Rosengard
Her rise to prominence is not just a personal triumph but a historic one, as she has shattered glass ceilings in a field long dominated by tradition and male voices. She was the first woman to conduct a production at Milan’s “La Scala,” and her tenure as Chief Conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra starting in 2016.
Renowned for her clear baton technique and profound musical insight, Mälkki brings a rare vitality to every performance, whether unveiling the intricate layers of a modernist score or breathing new life into a Romantic symphony. To celebrate her birthday on 13 March, let’s sample some of her most iconic recordings and performances.
Susanna Mälkki Conducts Schubert’s Symphony No. 8 “Unfinished” (excerpt)
Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra
Susanna Mälkki
Susanna Mälkki’s recording of the music of Béla Bartók showcases her ability to navigate complex modernist scores with clarity and intensity. Her 2021 recording with the Helsinki Philharmonic is praised for its “sumptuously detailed sound works, and exemplary pacing that reflects her deep affinity for Bartók’s flabbergasting orchestral canvas.”
Mälkki’s baton technique ensures that Bartók’s intricate polyphony and rhythmic complexity remain transparent, even in the densest passages. In addition, she captures the full spectrum of Bartók’s emotional range.
This wonderful recording confirms Mälkki as a serious Bartók interpreter, rivalling, according to some critics, the classic accounts by conductors like Georg Solti or Pierre Boulez. To be sure, Mälkki offers a fresh and distinctly Nordic perspective.
Béla Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra, BB 123 (Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra; Susanna Mälkki, cond.)
Saariaho Circle Map
Susanna Mälkki
Susanna Mälkki’s association with the music of Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho is one of the most significant threads in her career, reflecting her deep commitment to contemporary music and her close ties to her Finnish roots. Mälkki has conducted Saariaho’s works in various contexts, and her recordings and performances have garnered critical acclaim.
Mälkki’s work with Saariaho reflects a long-standing collaboration, dating back to her time with the Ensemble Intercontemporain in Paris between 2006 and 2013. While her conducting of Saariaho’s opera L’Amour de Loin remains iconic for its artistic success and cultural significance, her orchestral recordings solidify her reputation as a definitive interpreter of Saariaho’s oeuvre, blending precision with an almost mystical sensitivity to the composer’s soundscapes.
Susanna Mälkki Conducts Saariaho’s Circle Map (excerpt)
Zemlinsky Sinfonietta
Susanna Mälkki’s engagement with the orchestral works of Alexander Zemlinsky is a notable part of her discography. Her most prominent recorded contribution is a 2020 release with the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. This recording aligns well with Mälkki’s strengths in handling complex, colourful orchestral textures and modernistic nuances.
With her precise baton technique, described as “crisp and delightfully easy to follow,” Mälkki assures that the angular rhythms and stark contrasts in Zemlinsky’s music remain sharp yet cohesive. In fact, this recording remains a key document of her engagement with Zemlinsky, as she contributes to the growing appreciation of his music.
Alexander Zemlinsky: Sinfonietta, Op. 23 (ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra; Susanna Mälkki, cond.)
Scriabin Poem of Ecstasy
Susanna Mälkki
A notable highlight of Mälkki’s repertoire is her interpretation of Scriabin’s The Poem of Ecstasy. Her reading showcases her ability to handle the composer’s mystical and richly textured sound world.
Mälkki handles the dense orchestration with “exceptional transparency,” allowing the music to breathe while avoiding muddiness even in the loudest passages. Mälkki builds the work’s trajectory, from its tentative and longing opening to its frenzied climaxes with a great sense of inevitability.
According to critics, her recording “stands as a testament to her ability to channel Scriabin’s mystical fervour,” earning her accolades for technical mastery and visceral impact in a work that demands both.
Susanna Mälkki Conducts Scriabin’s The Poem of Ecstasy
Stravinsky Firebird
Mälkki’s recordings and live performances of Stravinsky, such as The Firebird Suite highlight her talent to present a modernist edge with classical poise.
The Firebird Suite is a standout in Mälkki’s repertoire, showcasing her skill in handling the composer’s vivid orchestral colours, rhythmic vitality, and narrative flair. Critics have called her performances “a sparkling jewel” and praised her “scintillating approach” capturing a rare balance between Stravinsky’s barbaric pulse and his fairy-tale lyricism.
Mälkki’s importance as a conductor lies not only in her technical brilliance and interpretive depth but also in her role as a trailblazer. Through her electrifying performances and acclaimed recordings, she has refined the art of conducting, leaving an indelible mark on the global classical music landscape as a visionary artist and a powerful advocate for innovation.
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