Tarmo Peltokoski was hired Thursday to succeed Jaap van Zweden as music director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic.
Peltokoski, at 24 far younger than most music directors, will start a four-year term in the 2026-27 season after serving as music director designate in 2025-26, the philharmonic said.
''I was just extremely impressed by the orchestra right away,'' Peltokoski said. ''Absolutely one of the best orchestras in Asia, for sure. So when the offer came, it was an easy yes for me.''
Peltokoski grew up in Finland and studied at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki with Jorma Panula, a famed 93-year-old conductor, composer and teacher whose students have included Esa-Pekka Salonen, Susanna Mälkki, Osmo Vänskä and Klaus Mäkelä.
''He wants to give the chance to young people, already established instrumentalists, to have the chance to conduct, which doesn't really happen in other countries,'' Peltokoski said. ''So I'm extremely thankful for that. And secondly, he sees the potential and really nourishes those talents that he thinks are worth his time. And then thirdly, he wants people to be individuals and doesn't force anything on anyone, so he really wants to keep every student's strong personality there and make them even stronger.''
Just 28, Mäkelä was hired in April to succeed Riccardo Muti as music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra starting in 2027-28.
Peltokoski's hiring marks a generational change in Hong Kong. Van Zweden became music director in the 2012-13 season and the 63-year-old conducted his farewell concert on June 26.
Peltokoski made his debut with the Hong Kong orchestra in June 2023 leading Sibelius' ''Finlandia,'' Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto and Shostakovich's 10th Symphony.