The debut album of the 23-year-old Finnish conductor and pianist, Tarmo Peltokoski, is scheduled for release in May 2024 on the renowned German label Deutsche Grammophon. This comes after Tarmo Peltokoski signed an exclusive contract with the label. The album features a recording of Mozart's Symphonies nos. 35, 36, and 40, performed with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. In addition to the symphonies, the album includes Peltokoski's performances of three short piano improvisations, each designed to complement one of the Mozart symphonies.
Tarmo Peltokoski's musical journey began with the piano at the age of 8, and he later ventured into conducting under the guidance of Finnish teachers Jorma Panula and Sakari Oramo at Helsinki's Sibelius Academy. His mentors also include Hannu Lintu, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, and Esa-Pekka Salonen.
Peltokoski holds significant positions in the music world, including being the Music Director Designate of the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Music and Artistic Director of the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, and Principal Guest Conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. Notably, he is the first-ever Principal Guest Conductor of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen.
Tarmo Peltokoski expressed his excitement about this milestone, stating, "I can barely express how much this signing means to me. It's a great honor to join Deutsche Grammophon, especially as their recordings have been such an important part of my life. I even have the album cover of Karajan's Ring cycle as the background picture on my phone." He humorously added, "The DG logo was missing from the image I chose but I photoshopped it in, long before Deutsche Grammophon had heard of me! It's a luxury to perform Mozart with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, and to put these three symphonies on record is a dream come true."
Dr. Clemens Trautmann, the President of Deutsche Grammophon, shared his enthusiasm about the collaboration, saying, "While I had heard lots of positive comments about Tarmo beforehand, I was unprepared for the impact of seeing him rehearse and perform for the first time. His charisma, energy, and natural authority were absolutely remarkable, and his understanding of hidden voices and musical features in seemingly well-known scores was breathtaking." He also looked forward to sharing Peltokoski's thrilling interpretation of Mozart with a wide audience.