While we watch Herbert von Karajan wave his musical goodbyes to the official "Karajan Year 2008" we can start preparations for the next one! The most notable anniversaries for 2009 (music-wise) are the 200th birthday of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, and of course it is also 200 years since Joseph Haydn passed away. Neither of them are too much played, so let's all keep them in mind while we're planning our programs for the rest of the year!

When I look back to how I spent the year 2008 I just feel thankful of all the new experiences and chances I got. I found a studio in Paris and finally could fully benefit of my assistantship with maestro Kurt Masur and the Orchestre National de France. And I saw a lot of interesting rehearsals, heard a lot of good concerts and met a bunch of great people because of that! On top of my assistant work I had more than 20 concerts, took part in a competition and a couple of auditions, taught a conducting masterclass and took part in one as well. Never have I felt so good about my decision to become a full time free lance conductor!

My calendar for the next year has been steadily filling up but some of the projects are still in the planning stage so I cannot advertise them much. I will tell about them in due course on this blog and at my website. The next big project is out already, the opera "Lovers of Mankind" which I will premiere in the end of January. Check out the website and come see it if you happen to be in Helsinki! Happy New Year everybody!