In 2016, Mälkki, a Finnish conductor and cellist, was the first woman appointed chief conductor of the 144-year-old Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. Mälkki made her Carnegie Hall debut with the New York Philharmonic this month.
52 | Chief conductor, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra | Finland
In 2016, Mälkki, a Finnish conductor and cellist, was the first woman appointed chief conductor of the 144-year-old Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. Mälkki made her Carnegie Hall debut with the New York Philharmonic this month. After announcing she will step down from her current post at the end of the 2022-23 season, she is rumored to be the next music director of the NY Phil—which would make her the first woman to hold the title.