Sauli Saarinen is a Finnish conductor and Chief Conductor of the Conscript Band of the Finnish Defence Forces. He joined the ensemble as a conductor in 2023 and was appointed Chief Conductor in 2026. In this role, he leads concerts and productions throughout Finland and is responsible for the orchestra’s artistic activities and administration.

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Saarinen has been invited to conduct several orchestras in Finland, including the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Kuopio Symphony Orchestra, Joensuu City Orchestra, Lappeenranta City Orchestra, and Kymi Sinfonietta. He has also been called upon to lead demanding productions at short notice: in 2021, he conducted the world premiere of Tze Yeung Ho's opera Minn(i)e in Tallinn with just one week's notice, and in 2022, he stepped in to conduct the opening concert of the Xenakis100 Festival in Helsinki with only three days' notice.

 

Before focusing on conducting, Saarinen worked as a trumpet player with several professional orchestras in Finland. His repertoire ranges from symphonic works to contemporary music.

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Saarinen studied conducting at the Sibelius Academy and furthered his studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and the Panula Academy under the guidance of Jorma Panula. He graduated from the Sibelius Academy with a Master of Music degree in 2022.

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Alongside his conducting career, Saarinen composes music for wind bands of various levels. He has received first prize in the Pirkanmaan Pinna Composition Competition and third prize in the Finnish Defence Forces 100-Year Composition Competition. In 2025, he was invited to be the theme composer at Ruskatrööttä, a national wind music festival in Finland. His works have been published by Leading Tones Music (USA) and the Finnish Wind Band Association.