Sauli Saarinen
"I was very impressed with his ability to rehearse the orchestra quickly and effectively, his clear stick technique as well as his musical instincts. He clearly has a lot of natural ability and potential."
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Osmo Vänskä
Conductor Laureate: Minnesota Orchestra
Honorary Conductor: Iceland Symphony Orchestra
"Sauli’s warm and humane attitude towards fellow musicians has made a big impact on me and my colleagues."​
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Atso Almila
Retired Professor of Conducting
Sibelius Academy
About
Sauli Saarinen (b. 1988) is a Finnish conductor known for his versatility across genre boundaries and his ability to respond to demanding artistic challenges on short notice. He has attracted attention for stepping into productions at exceptionally brief notice, including the world premiere of Tze Yeung Ho’s chamber opera Minn(i)e in Tallinn in 2021 with just one week’s preparation, and the opening concert of the Xenakis100 Festival in Helsinki in 2022 on only three days’ notice.
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Prior to his appointment as Chief Conductor of the Conscript Band of the Finnish Defence Forces, Saarinen served for three years as a conductor with the ensemble. Earlier in his career, he worked as Sub-Principal Trumpet with the Guards Band of the Finnish Defence Forces in Helsinki, and as a Principal Trumpet substitute with the Vaasa City Orchestra and the Pori Sinfonietta.
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Saarinen studied trumpet at the Tampere Conservatoire and conducting at the Sibelius Academy, as well as at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, and with Jorma Panula at the Panula Academy. He received his Master’s degree in Conducting from the Sibelius Academy in 2022. Following his graduation, he has been invited to conduct leading Finnish orchestras, including the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Kuopio Symphony Orchestra, Joensuu City Orchestra, Lappeenranta City Orchestra, and Kymi Sinfonietta. In 2025, Saarinen was invited as theme composer of the Finnish Wind Music Festival Ruskatrööttä.​
Alongside his conducting work, Saarinen has been actively involved in contemporary Finnish brass music and has performed new repertoire with his ensemble, Helsinki Symphonic Brass.
He has further developed his artistic profile through numerous masterclasses and has studied with conductors including Jorma Panula, David Zinman, Osmo Vänskä, Hannu Lintu, Johannes Schlaefli, Johannes Wildner, Petri Komulainen, Jukka Iisakkila, Atso Almila, Felix Hauswirth, Petri Sakari, Nils Schweckendiek, Leonid Korchmar, Timothy Redmond, and Graeme Jenkins.
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Saarinen holds the rank of Music Captain.