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Leif Segerstam

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Leif Segerstam
Portrait of Leif Segerstam in 1967
Segerstam in 1967
Born
Leif Selim Segerstam

(1944-03-02)2 March 1944
Vaasa, Finland
Died9 October 2024(2024-10-09) (aged 80)
Helsinki, Finland
Alma materSibelius Academy
Occupations
  • Conductor
  • composer
  • violist
  • violinist
  • pianist
  • professor
Spouses
  • ​
    ​
    (divorced)​
  • Minnaleena Jankko
    ​
    ​
    (m. 2002; div. 2009)​
Children5
FatherSelim Segerstam

Leif Selim Segerstam[1] (/ˈleɪf/ LAYF, 2 March 1944 – 9 October 2024) was a Finnish conductor, composer, violinist, violist, and pianist, especially known for writing over 300 symphonies, along with other works.[2]

From 1963 onward Segerstam conducted a variety of orchestras in Europe, the Americas and Australia. He was conductor at the Finnish National Opera, the Royal Swedish Opera and Deutsche Oper Berlin, and was chief conductor of the ORF Symphony Orchestra, Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, the Danish National Radio Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra. He is widely known through his recordings, including the complete symphonies of Blomdahl, Brahms, Mahler, Nielsen, and Sibelius, as well as many works by contemporary composers. He is remembered for his contributions to the Finnish music scene, and his vibrant personality.[3]

He taught as professor of orchestra conducting at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.

Life and career

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Leif Segerstam was born on 2 March 1944 in Vaasa,[4][5] to Selim Segerstam and Viola Maria Kronqvist, into a musical Swedish-speaking family.[6] Selim made several song books as a living.[7] The Segerstams then moved to Helsinki in 1947. During Leif's time at school, he played the violin and the viola with the Helsinki Youth Orchestra.[6]

Segerstam's debut concert as a violinist was in 1962,[6] and his conducting debut was in 1963, with Rossini's The Barber of Seville, in Tampere.[8] Following the premiere, Segerstam was hired to conduct the Finnish National Opera, and a year later he conducted the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. He conducted contemporary works such as Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms and Shostakovich's First Symphony.[6]

Segerstam studied at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki,[1][9] piano with Jaakko Somero, violin with Leena Siukonen-Penttilä, composition with Einar Englund and Joonas Kokkonen, and conducting with Jussi Jalas.[5] He received diplomas in violin and conducting in 1963.[10] He studied further at the Juilliard School in New York City,[9] violin with Louis Persinger, composition with Hall Overton and Vincent Persichetti, and conducting with Jean Morel,[5] and received his postgraduate diploma in 1965.[1][10][11]

Segerstam took part, as second conductor, in a 1968 tour of the Helsinki Philharmonic to the United States.[6] He was chief conductor and music director of the Royal Swedish Opera from 1970 to 1972, and music director of the Finnish National Opera in 1973 and 1974.[12] He began working with Deutsche Oper Berlin in the early 1970s.[10][13] He conducted as a guest at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, La Scala in Milan and the Royal Opera House in London, with a repertoire including Verdi's Aida and Don Carlo, R. Strauss' Salome and Elektra and Wagner's Tannhäuser and Der fliegende Holländer.[6]

Segerstam served as chief conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra from 1995 to 2007,[14] and held the title of Chief Conductor Emeritus with the orchestra.[9] At the same time, he was chief conductor of the Royal Swedish Opera again[12] and of the Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland until 2000.[13]

Segerstam with the Philharmonia at the 2012 Summer Olympics, 31 July 2012

He held positions with numerous other orchestras, including the ORF Symphony Orchestra (1975 to 1982),[4][14] the Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz (1982 to 1989),[4][10] the Danish National Radio Symphony (1988 to 1995), and the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra (2012 to 2019).[14] He guest-conducted many orchestras in Europe, the Americas and in Australia,[1][8] including the Chicago Symphony,[15] the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Toronto Symphony, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Symphony Orchestra of the State of São Paulo.[16]

From autumn 1997 to spring 2013, he was professor of orchestra conducting at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.[9][14] His students include Rune Bergmann,[16] Susanna Mälkki,[15] Mikk Murdvee, Sasha Mäkilä and Markku Laakso.[17]

In 2004 he made a cameo appearance in the Finnish film Pelicanman.[18]

In 2024, he was hospitalized after a "brief bout of pneumonia", dying after complications related to the disease at the hospital on the 9th of October of 2024. [19]

Compositions

[edit]
See also: List of symphonies by Leif Segerstam

As a composer, Segerstam is especially known for his many symphonies, which numbered 371 by March 2024.[14][20][21][22]

Segerstam at Turku Main Library, in 2011

Most of his symphonies last for about 20 minutes, are formed of a single movement and can be performed without a conductor.[14] His 37th symphony, for example, at its premiere featured Segerstam at the piano, leading the orchestra "in a relatively free form".[23] This is partially inspired by Sibelius' Seventh symphony.[3] More than a hundred of Segerstam's symphonies have been performed.[3]

Many of his compositions are influenced by nature, and he was often praised for his contributions to Nordic music.[24] He developed a personal approach to aleatory composition through a style called "free pulsation" in which musical events interact flexibly in time,[25] with his composition method persistent throughout his œuvre.[26] His Fifth String Quartet, the "Lemming Quartet" (1970), ushered in his new chapter of post-expressionistic writing of the 1960s.[27] This composition approach proved to be a quick way of writing large blocks of sound (the temporal order of events being left to the performer) and permitted an exceptionally prolific output. Instead of constituting individual works, his music is more like a musical stream of consciousness (under the headings of Thoughts, Episode and Orchestral Diary Sheet). It also means that there are numerous scorings of the same piece.[27] This method was first used in the "Lemming Quartet".[9][26]

Among Segerstam's juvenilia (1960–1969) are four string quartets from 1962–1966, and the post-impressionist ballet Pandora from 1967. The quartets are usually labeled as from his "Post-Expressionist" period.[6][26] He composed 30 string quartets and numerous concertos, for violin, viola, cello and piano.[14]

In 2015 Segerstam began work on an opera, Völvan, with a libretto by Elisabeth Wärnfeldt.[25][28]

Personal life

[edit]

Segerstam was married to the violinist Hannele Segerstam [fi], concertmaster of the Finnish RSO; they had two children, Jan and Pia. Pia is a professional cellist; Jan is a businessman.[29][30]

After they divorced, he married the Helsinki Philharmonic harpist Minnaleena Jankko in 2002; they had three children: Violaelina (born 1997), Selimoskar (born 1998) and Iirisilona (born 1999).[7][31] In 2009 it was announced that their marriage would end.[31][30]

In a 2024 interview, Segerstam mentioned being autistic.[22]

Segerstam died from pneumonia at a Helsinki hospital, on 9 October 2024, at the age of 80.[14][32][33][2]

Awards

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Honors

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Recordings

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Segerstam is widely known through his recordings, which include the complete symphonies of Blomdahl, Brahms, Mahler, Nielsen, and Sibelius, as well as many works by contemporary composers, such as the Americans John Corigliano and Christopher Rouse, the Finnish Einojuhani Rautavaara, Swedish Allan Pettersson, and the Russian Alfred Schnittke.[12][25][36]

The following is a list of selected orchestral recordings conducted by Segerstam.

Album Label Year Orchestra – artists OCLC
Brahms: Symphony No. 1 / Segerstam.: Symphony No. 288, "Letting the FLOW go on…" Alba 2016 Turku Philharmonic Orchestra OCLC 1030580321
Brahms: Symphony No. 2 / Segerstam.: Symphony No. 289, "When a Cat Visited" Alba 2018 Turku Philharmonic Orchestra OCLC 1084272213
Brahms: Symphony No. 3 / Segerstam.: Symphony No. 294, "Songs of a UNICORN heralding …" Alba 2019 Turku Philharmonic Orchestra OCLC 1057237130
Brahms: Symphony No. 4 / Segerstam.: Symphony No. 295, "ulFSöDErBlom in Memoriam …" Alba 2019 Turku Philharmonic Orchestra OCLC 1137804301
Aubert: Orchestral Works – Cinéma / Feuille d'Images / Offrande / Dryade SWR Classic Archive 1994 Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz OCLC 959710455
Beethoven: König Stephan / Leonore Prohaska (excerpts) Naxos 2020 Turku Philharmonic Orchestra
The Key Ensemble, Chorus Cathedralis Aboensis 		OCLC 1155153114
Beethoven: Die Ruinen von Athen Naxos 2020 Turku Philharmonic Orchestra
Chorus Cathedralis Aboensis 		OCLC 1396202758
Borup-Jørgensen: Sommasvit / Nordisk Sommerpastorale Dacapo 1995 Danish National Symphony Orchestra
 OCLC 873449234
Langgaard: Symphony No. 1 / From the Deep Chandos 1994 Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Choir OCLC 815409291
Mahler: Symphonies Nos. 7 and 9 Chandos 1992 Danish National Symphony Orchestra OCLC 874520865
Mahler: Symphony No. 3 Chandos 1991 Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Choir
Anne Gjevang, Copenhagen Boys' Choir 		OCLC 1057012973
Mahler: Symphony No. 4 Alba 2020 Turku Philharmonic Orchestra OCLC 1221007259
Mahler: Symphony No. 10 and 8 Chandos 1994 Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Choir OCLC 908332069
Nørgård: Symphonies Nos. 4 and 5 Chandos 1997 Danish National Symphony Orchestra OCLC 730472425
Nørgård: Symphony No. 2 / Sinfonia Austera Chandos 1996 Danish National Symphony Orchestra OCLC 811243631
Nørgård: Symphony No. 3 / Concerto in due tempi Chandos 1996 Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Choir OCLC 811243640
Pettersson: Symphonies Nos. 3 and 15 BIS 1994 Norrköping Symphony Orchestra OCLC 705287325
Pettersson: Symphonies Nos. 7 and 11 BIS 1993 Norrköping Symphony Orchestra OCLC 811225881
Pettersson: Symphonies Nos. 8 and 10 BIS 1998 Norrköping Symphony Orchestra OCLC 705288109
Rautavaara: Before the Icons / A Tapestry of Life Ondine 2010 Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra OCLC 767883061
Rautavaara: Garden of Spaces / Clarinet Concerto / Cantus arcticus Ondine 2005 Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
Richard Stoltzman 		OCLC 811335953
Rautavaara: Harp Concerto / Symphony No. 8 Ondine 2001 Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
Marielle Nordmann 		OCLC 811336727
Rautavaara: Manhattan Trilogy / Symphony No. 3 Ondine 2008 Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra OCLC 315789639
Rautavaara: On the Last Frontier / Flute Concerto / Anadyomene Ondine 1999 Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
Patrick Gallois 		OCLC 823228832
Rautavaara: Violin Concerto / Isle of Bliss / Angels and Visitations Ondine 1997 Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
Elmar Oliveira 		OCLC 811336700
Rautavaara: Symphony No. 7 / Annunciations Ondine 1996 Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra OCLC 900665955
Romantic Trombone Concertos BIS 1988 Bamberger Symphoniker
Christian Lindberg 		OCLC 872381464
Ruders, P.: Saaledes saae Johannes / Gong / Tundra / Symphony No. 1 Chandos 1993 Danish National Symphony Orchestra OCLC 1120829136
Schmitt, F.: Orchestral Works – Danse d'Abisag / Habeyssée / Rêves / Symphony No. 2 SWR Classic Archive 2007 Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz OCLC 959723692
Scriabin: Symphony No. 2 / Reverie / Le Poeme de l'extase BIS 1992 Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra OCLC 705229879
Scriabin: Piano Concerto / Symphony No. 3 "Le divin poeme" BIS 1990 Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra OCLC 705286490
Scriabin: Symphony No. 1 / Prometheus BIS 1991 Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra OCLC 811239112
Sibelius: Symphony No. 1 / In memoriam Chandos 1992 Danish National Symphony Orchestra OCLC 906564001
Sibelius.: Symphony No. 2 / Finlandia Chandos 1992 Danish National Symphony Orchestra OCLC 906563893
Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 5 and 7 / Valse triste Chandos 1992 Danish National Symphony Orchestra OCLC 906563946
Sibelius: Symphony No. 3 / Scenes with cranes / Tapiola Chandos 1992 Danish National Symphony Orchestra OCLC 906563998
Sibelius: Symphony No. 4 / The Tempest Suite No. 1 Chandos 1991 Danish National Symphony Orchestra OCLC 906563829
Sibelius: Symphony No. 6 / Pohjola's Daughter / En saga Chandos 1991 Danish National Symphony Orchestra OCLC 906563833
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde Naxos 2005 Royal Swedish Opera Orchestra and Male Chorus OCLC 144651023

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Liljeroos, Mats. "Segerstam, Leif". uppslagsverket.fi (in Swedish). Uppslagsverket Finland.
  2. ^ a b Nossiter, Adam. "Leif Segerstam, Who Wrote 371 Symphonies, Is Dead at 80". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Service, Tom (17 November 2011). "Leif Segerstam: weird and wonderful symphonic master". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Leif Segerstam gestorben". BR (in German). 9 October 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Mäkelä, Tomi (October 2024). "Segerstam, Leif". Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart (in German). Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Dahlström, Fabian. "Segerstam, Leif". Biografiskt lexikon för Finland (in Swedish).
  7. ^ a b Arvonen, Margit (28 May 2007). "Leif Segerstamin lapsuusmuistot". iltalehti.fi (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 19 October 2014.
  8. ^ a b Hillila, Ruth-Esther; Hong, Barbara Blanchard (1997). Historical Dictionary of the Music and Musicians of Finland. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 368–369.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Leif Segerstam". naxos.com.
  10. ^ a b c d e "Curriculum vitae Leif Segerstam". Turun filharmoninen orkesteri. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  11. ^ Sirén, Vesa (2 March 2014). "Uskomaton Leif Segerstam täyttää 70 vuotta ja säveltää sinfoniaa nro 270". hs.fi (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 5 June 2015.
  12. ^ a b c d "Leif Segerstam, conductor". Ondine. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  13. ^ a b c "Leif Segerstam Conductor". The D.D. Shostakovich St. Petersburg Academic Philharmonia. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h McCarthy, James (10 October 2024). "Leif Segerstam". Gramophone. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  15. ^ a b Morris, Keegan (10 October 2024). "Leif Segerstam, Conductor Who Wrote Over 350 Symphonies, Dies, 80". WFMT. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  16. ^ a b "Finnish Conductor Leif Segerstam has Died, Aged 80". The Violin Channel. 10 October 2024. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  17. ^ "Kapellimestari Leif Segerstam työskentelee viimeistä kertaa oppilaittensa kanssa". yle.fi (in Finnish). 26 April 2013. Archived from the original on 18 January 2015.
  18. ^ "Pelicanman". Handle Productions. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  19. ^ Nossiter, Adam (16 October 2024). "Leif Segerstam, Who Wrote 371 Symphonies, Is Dead at 80". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 8 November 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  20. ^ "Leif Segerstam". Music Finland Core. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  21. ^ "Music Finland / Composers & Repertoire". musicfinland.fi. Archived from the original on 5 June 2015.
  22. ^ a b Hartikainen, Ville (1 March 2024). "80-vuotias | "Mähän olen melkein kuin musiikin Jeesus", Leif Segerstam sanoo" [80 years old | "I'm almost like the Jesus of music," says Leif Segerstam]. Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 2 March 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  23. ^ Albrecht, Klaus (1 January 2001). "Essen: Grüße aus dem Norden—Leif Segerstam leitet die Essener Philharmoniker". Das Orchester – Zeitschrift für Orchesterkultur und Rundfunk-Chorwesen – via ProQuest.
  24. ^ "Nordic Sounds". NOMUS Nordic Council of Ministers. Secretariat of Nordic Cultural Co-operation – via CATALYST.
  25. ^ a b c "Composer / Conductor Leif Segerstam, A Conversation with Bruce Duffie". kcstudio.com. 1997. Archived from the original on 18 September 2014.
  26. ^ a b c White, John David; Christensen, Jean (2001). New Music of the Nordic Countries. Pendragon Press. pp. 213–214.
  27. ^ a b Heiniö, Mikko (2001). "Segerstam, Leif". doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.25324. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0.
  28. ^ Wärnfeldt, Elisabeth. "Völvan: An opera to be". elisabethwarnfeldt.info (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 6 June 2015.
  29. ^ Latva-Kurikka, Marika (9 February 2012). "Leif Segerstamin poika avoimena: "Kasvoin varhain aikuiseksi"" [Leif Segerstam's son openly: "I grew up early"]. iltalehti.fi (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 14 June 2012.
  30. ^ a b Rausch, Alexander (15 May 2014). "Segerstam, Leif". Oesterreichisches Musiklexikon. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  31. ^ a b Aho, Esko (2 November 2005). "Mies kuin Brahms tai Zorbas". kaleva.fi (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 18 January 2015.
  32. ^ "Kapellimestari Leif Segerstam on kuollut" [Conductor Leif Segerstam has died]. yle. 9 October 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  33. ^ Sandner, Wolfgang (10 October 2024). "Zum Tod des finnischen Komponisten Leif Segerstam". FAZ.NET (in German). Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  34. ^ "Leif Segerstam – Conductor – Patrick Garvey, Classical Music Agent". 11 November 2020.
  35. ^ "Suomen Leijonan Pro Finlandia -mitalin saajat". Ritarikunnat.fi (in Finnish). The Orders of the White Rose of Finland and the Lion of Finland. 9 October 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  36. ^ "Emeritus ylikapellimestarin esittely". hel.fi (in Finnish). 15 January 2014. Archived from the original on 1 April 2015.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Leif Segerstam.
Cultural offices
Preceded by Principal Conductor, Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra
1975–1982 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Principal Conductor, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
1977–1987 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Principal Conductor, Danish National Symphony Orchestra
1988–1995 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Principal Conductor, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
1995–2007 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Professor of conducting, Sibelius Academy
1997–2013 		Succeeded by
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