Pedagogical legend Jorma Panula is 90-years-old today. For decades a sought-after mentor to aspiring Finnish conductors, Panula has flooded the world with his estimable apprentices, which include, among their number, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Mikko Franck, Sakari Oramo, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, and Osmo Vänskä.
Panula himself served as chief conductor of the Turku Philharmonic, the Helsinki Philharmonic, and the Aarhus Symphony Orchestras. Today he continues to teach, albeit with a mask. Here are selections from an interview he gave in 2018.
On working with young conductors:
On technique:
On the psychology of conducting: