Jorma Panula (born 10 August 1930 in Kauhajoki) is a Finnish conductor, composer,

and teacher of conducting. He has mentored many notable Finnish conductors, such
as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Mikko Franck, Sakari Oramo, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, and Osmo
Vnsk.

Career[edit]
Panula studied church music and conducting at the Sibelius Academy. His teachers included Leo Funtek, Dean Dixon, Albert
Wolff and Franco Ferrara. Apart from conducting, he has composed a wide variety of music. His operas Jaakko Ilkka and the River
Opera established a new genre called "performance opera", which fused music, visual art and the art of daily life. Panula's other
compositions include musicals, church music, a violin concerto, jazz capriccio and numerous pieces of vocal music.
Panula was the artistic director and chief conductor of the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra from 1963 to 1965, the Helsinki
Philharmonic Orchestra from 1965 to 1972 and the Aarhus Symphony from 1973 to 1976. He has also conducted his own
opera Jaakko Ilkka at the Finnish National Opera.
Panula has served as Professor of Conducting at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki from 1973 to 1994 and at the Royal College of
Music in Stockholm and the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen.[1]
As a pedagogue, Panula has been a teacher and mentor to many Finnish conductors, such as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Mikko
Franck, Sakari Oramo, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, and Osmo Vnsk. Other conducting students have included Ari Rasilainen, John
Storgrds, Hannu Lintu, Eeva Ollikainen, Susanna Mlkki, Tuomas Ollila (Hannikainen), Pietari Inkinen, Olari Elts, Stefan Solyom,
Rolf Gupta, Jani Telaranta, Maria Badstue, Tuomas Rousi, Jan Sderblom, Kari Tikka, Atso Almila, Markus Lehtinen, Jukka Iisakkila,
Juha Nikkola, Petri Sakari, Dmitri Slobodeniouk, Tibor Bognyi, Ricardo Chiavetta, Sasha Mkil, Esa Heikkil. [2] He has since
taught conducting courses all over the world, such as in Paris, London, Amsterdam, Moscow, New York, Tanglewood, Aspen,
Ottawa and Sydney. He has limited his podium appearances greatly during the past ten years. Panula was listed as one of the "60
most powerful people in music" featured in the November 2000 issue of BBC Music Magazine. Panula was awarded the Rolf
Schock Prize in 1997.
In March 2014, Panula caused controversy in a Finnish television interview with remarks that denigrated the ability of women to
conduct particular composers, and that women were suited to conducting music that was "feminine enough" (tarpeeksi feminiinist),
such as Debussy, but that they were unsuited for conducting Bruckner. He stated that "women [conductors] Of course they are
trying! Some of them are making faces, sweating and fussing, but it is not getting any better only worse!... Its not a problem if
they choose the right pieces. If they take more feminine music... This is a purely biological question. [3] Other conductors, such as his
former student Salonen, responded critically to Panula's remarks. [4]

Jorma Panula, 83, is a highly regarded conductor and educator, and throughout the
60s and 70s served as the artistic director and chief conductor of the Turku
Philharmonic Orchestra, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Aarhus
Symphony. He served as Professor of Conducting at the Sibelius Academy in
Helsinki, Royal College of Music in Stockholm, and the Royal Danish Academy of
Music in Copenhagen.

He has been credited as the teacher of a generation of Finlands most successful

conductors, and in 2000 Panula was listed in the BBC music Magazine league-table
of the "60 most powerful people in music" for being instrumental in bringing about
a change in Finnish music and elevating it to the highest levels in Europe.

However, for all the change Panula has brought about culturally for Finland, his
attitude towards female composers smacks of old-world traditionalism. What the
hell, we have men already [in this profession], explained Panula. It is such a
limited profession. They can try, but it is a completely different deal some of
them are making faces, sweating and fussing, but it is not getting any better only
worse!

Panula went on to suggest that female conductors may be effective when

conducting more feminine music. They can come [to my masterclasses] and try,
said Panula. Its not a problem if they choose the right pieces, if they take more
feminine music. Bruckner or Stravinsky will not do, but Debussy is okay. This is
purely an issue of biology.
Fellow Finns were quick to hit back with Esa-Pekka Salonen, the Music Director of
the Los Angeles Philharmonic and one of the first generation of conductors trained
in Panula's conducting class tweeting out "Conducting is a matter of skill, not
biology. There is no reason why women cannot do it equally well or better."

Panula is currently undertaking a masterclass in Vassa, Finland, where half of the

participants are women hailing from all over Europe, suggesting that his views are
not representative of the mainstream in his home country. I was quite surprised
when I came here to the course there are a lot of women, says Anna Hauner, a
student of conducting from Germany who is participating in the masterclass.
Germany is very traditional, with many of the opportunities on offer favoring men.

This is not the first time the abilities of women conductors has been called into
question. Last year, Limelight reported on Russian conductor Vasily Petrenko stating
that a female conductors sexuality could be detrimental to the performance of a
professional orchestra. Men often have less sexual energy and can focus more on
the music, he stated. A sweet girl on the podium can make your thoughts drift
towards something else.

This story in turn prompted a response from Nicolette Fraillon, Chief Conductor of
the Australian Ballet. In terms of opportunities for conductors, she concludes, I
dont think theres as much of a problem here as elsewhere in the world. But gender
equality in any field isnt an issue to shy away from; it needs to be discussed openly
and tackled from within.

But some simply attribute Panulas comments as the product of an old world
mentality, a mentality that is changing. It is the tradition, a centuries-old tradition,
states masterclass participant Lower Leppilampi. Throughout the ages men have
been brought to light. And now, little by little, women will start to come. It will get
easier.

2 children
Terhi Panula and Anu Panula ,