Jorma Panula

Jorma Panula is the only Finn on BBC Music Magazine's league table of the 60 Most Powerful People in Music, featured in the November issue of 2000. "The teacher of a generation of some of the most successful conductors, such as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Osmo Vänskä, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Tuomas Ollila, Sakari Oramo, and the young Mikko Franck", the magazine says in its reference to Panula. "As the chief conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and the leader of his conducting class (at the Sibelius Academy), Panula has brought about a change in Finnish music and raised it to the highest levels in Europe", enthuses the writer.

Today we met Jorma Panula in Porkkala. He is Terhi's father. So I said to him: "So you are still working" and he answered by raising his hands strongly: "Yes, why not!". Jorma is still teaching all around the world at the age of 81.