海角大神

Her arms at her side against her glimmering, long black jacket and her blond hair pulled into a ponytail, Susanna M盲lkki soaked in several minutes of applause after a thrilling Carnegie Hall debut. She had conducted the New York Philharmonic in a challenging program, perceived as a possible prelude to becoming the first woman music director of an orchestra that started in 1842.

鈥淥f course, it鈥檚 always an honor to be mentioned in this kind of context,鈥� she said during an interview with The Associated Press the day before the Jan. 6 performance. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really, really fun to be with the orchestra. But the 濒鈥檃肠迟耻补濒颈迟茅, as they say in French: This something that the orchestra will take their time. They will try out a lot of people.鈥�

Musicians beamed as the audience erupted following the Philharmonic鈥檚 first Carnegie Hall appearance in six years, broadcast live on radio. Leelanee Sterrett, the acting associate principal horn, detected a 鈥渇ocused energy鈥� that Ms. M盲lkki brought to the podium and called it 鈥渙ne of those performances where in the concert everything was kind of taken up a notch, dialed up a notch.鈥�

A native of Finland, Ms. M盲lkki studied at the Sibelius Academy and London鈥檚 Royal Academy of Music, and she was mentored by Esa-Pekka Salonen.

She was principal cellist of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra from 1995-98, then left to concentrate on conducting. She served as music director of the Paris-based Ensemble Intercontemporain from 2006-13, became chief conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra starting during the 2016-2017 season, and principal guest conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic for 2017-18. She announced last month she will leave the Finland post at the end of the 2022-23 season.

A woman has never been music director of what was long known as the Big Five: the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Cleveland Orchestra.

Marin Alsop took over the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in 2007-08, a tenure that ended last August, and Nathalie Stutzmann was hired in October to become music director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in 2022-23.

Jaap van Zweden said in September he will leave the New York Philharmonic at the end of the 2023-24 season after six years as music director. Orchestra members know when a potential successor is leading them.

鈥淥f course we鈥檙e conscious of that. How could you not be?鈥� principal cellist Carter Brey said. 鈥淏ut I think that occupies a small corner of our awareness at the time. We鈥檙e just focused on making music as well as we can.鈥�

Ms. M盲lkki鈥檚 past as a cellist 鈥� she still plays but not publicly 鈥� influences her conducting.

鈥淪he鈥檚 meticulous in the way she runs a rehearsal,鈥� star violinist Gil Shaham said. 鈥淵ou just always feel positive. You never feel like, 鈥極h, we鈥檙e going to run out of time.鈥� She always plans the time in advance.鈥�

Ms. M盲lkki made her New York Philharmonic debut on May 21, 2015. When she made her Metropolitan Opera debut in December 2016, she was just the fourth woman conductor of a company that started in 1883.

鈥淎t first meeting, she can seem somewhat reserved, but she obviously is very passionate about her performance and about music,鈥� Met general manager Peter Gelb said. 鈥淪he may have the surface dryness or wryness of other Finnish artists I have known, but her passion quickly comes out when she鈥檚 on the podium.鈥�

Ms. M盲lkki is among five woman conductors at the Met this season. She is one of 21 to lead the Philharmonic, including four so far this season.

鈥淚 know for me as a woman, it鈥檚 extremely meaningful to have somebody on the podium who reflects my identity, and I feel that every time we work with a woman conductor,鈥� Ms. Sterrett said. 鈥淪o I think that as you see people breaking through, it just changes the whole dialogue around us. It changes the paradigm.鈥�

Deborah Borda, who returned to the New York Philharmonic as CEO in 2017 after 17 seasons as CEO in Los Angeles, hired Ms. M盲lkki as principal guest conductor.

鈥淪he has a very powerful and quiet charisma and what she brings is an emotional as well as intellectual connection to the music that is really unique,鈥� Ms. Borda said.

Ms. Borda tries to say little publicly about the music director search.

鈥業t鈥檚 a very delicate procedure,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here are obviously various stakeholders involved within our community, but the guests, as well, and it is so important that we protect the confidentiality and sanctity of the process.鈥�

Typical of conductors, Ms. M盲lkki leads a peripatetic life. She has homes in Paris, where she keeps her scores, and in Finland. 鈥淗elsinki is good because I grew up there, My parents are there. It鈥檚 nice to have a pied-脿-terre in Helsinki, but Paris is definitely home,鈥� she said.

She will be back in New York in May to conduct Stravinsky鈥檚 鈥淭he Rake鈥檚 Progress,鈥� and is signed-up for Beethoven鈥檚 鈥淔idelio鈥� in a future season, and Kaija Saariaho鈥檚 鈥淚nnocence鈥� in 2025-26 after leading its world premiere last summer at Aix-en-Provence, France. She conducts Berg鈥檚 鈥淲ozzeck鈥� at the Paris Opera in March.

Known for her interest in late 20th century and contemporary compositions, she has committed to future performances of Puccini鈥檚 鈥淚l Trittico,鈥� Debussy鈥檚 鈥淧ell茅as et M茅lisande,鈥� and Jan谩cek鈥檚 鈥淭he Makropulos Case,鈥� and hopes in the future to lead Puccini鈥檚听鈥淟a Boh猫me,鈥� and Wagner鈥檚 Ring Cycle, and 鈥淭ristan und Isolde.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 a shift that鈥檚 been actually sort of intended and planned already some time ago,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been speaking about my interest for opera and there have been more and more invitations. And then I鈥檝e just been grabbing everything, and it鈥檚 really exciting. I love working with singers. There鈥檚 something of a storytelling quality that I love. I guess I can even say that I somehow identify myself with the singers. I would love to be one of them.鈥�

This story was reported by The Associated Press.