Pietari Inkinen conducts finals of Sibelius Violin Competition

Pietari Inkinen returns to the International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition finals this week, 25 years after competing as a finalist himself.

The conductor and violinist leads the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra in the final rounds of one of the world’s most prestigious violin competitions.

The finals take place from May 27 to 29, 2025, at the Helsinki Music Centre (Musiikkitalo). This year’s competition marks a historic first: finalists will perform both Jean Sibelius’s Violin Concerto and a modern concerto by a contemporary composer, including works by Kaija Saariaho, Magnus Lindberg, Oliver Knussen, and Unsuk Chin.

Inkinen shares conducting duties with Geoffrey Paterson, while Dima Slobodeniouk leads the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra.

The six finalists selected by the jury, chaired by conductor-violinist John Storgårds, are: Otto Antikainen (Finland), Gabrielle Després (Canada), Claire Wells (USA), Minami Yoshida (Japan), Amia Janicki (Switzerland), and Sueye Park (South Korea).

Each finalist will perform with both orchestras across the three final evenings. The performances are broadcast live on Yle Radio 1 at 18:30 EET and available as delayed broadcasts on Yle Teema TV at 20:00 EET.

The competition, held every five years since 1965, is organized by the Sibelius Society of Finland and the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki. It continues to be a launching pad for the careers of exceptional young violinists worldwide.

For more information and live streaming links, visit sibeliuscompetition.fi.

[Photo: The six finalists of this year’s 13th International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition | Credit: Matias Ahonen]