Leif Segerstam

Segerstam was Chief Conductor and Music Director of the Royal Opera in Stockholm from 1970-1972 and Director of the Finnish National Opera in 1973-74. Since then he has conducted in most of the world's leading opera houses. Segerstam was Chief Conductor of the Austrian Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1975 to 1982 and of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1977 to 1987. He was Music Director of the Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz from 1983 to 1989 and was appointed Chief Conductor of the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra in 1988. In autumn 1995, he was reappointed Chief Conductor of the Royal Opera in Stockholm (until 2001) and became Chief Conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. In autumn 2007, Leif Segerstam stepped down to become the Helsinki Pilharmonic Orchestra's Emeritus Chief Conductor.

Leif Segerstam was also Professor of Orchestra Conducting at the Sibelius Academy. In November 1998, The Nordic Music Council NOMUS awarded the 1999 Nordic Council Music Prize for his work "as tireless champion of Scandinavian music".

While pursuing his conducting career, Segerstam has also produced an extensive oeuvre as a composer. In addition to the over 30 recordings featuring him as a conductor, Ondine has also released three albums of his compositions.