From Ligeti to Björk and Mozart - the Finnish conductor reveals her musical inspirations
How do you mostly listen to music?
Most often in concerts and performances, in fact. Sometimes from the computer (sound files for work), but very little at home. This may change now however as I have just bought a new pair of amazing loudspeakers!
What’s your musical guilty pleasure?
No guilt when it comes to music. There are days when Led Zeppelin is the only right thing to listen to.
If you found yourself with six months free to learn a new instrument, what would you choose?
I would try the French horn. Of course six months wouldn’t get me very far. But it would be very enlightening indeed for a string player [Mälkki is also a cellist] – everything is different, all the challenges are exactly the opposite. And concentrating on the breathing is such a beautiful thing.