I often imagined the instructions Bach might give the performer of his music in the present day. What might he say?
Describing Bach as a conductor in the 18th century, J.M. Gesner said he was “full of rhythm in every part of his body”. Bach himself stated his priorities in the title of his keyboard works: “…above all to achieve a singing style”. Knowing what a phenomenal organist and improviser Bach was, his example to us must be obvious. The music must live in the here and now – forever new.
Ismo Eskelinen

Ismo Eskelinen’s career began when he was 17, spurred on by many prizes. Eskelinen plays in major concert halls such as the Berlin Philharmonic, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Royal Festival Hall, Théâtre de la Monnaie, Finlandia Hall and Sibelius Hall.
Eskelinen is the first guitarist to be invited as a soloist at the new Helsinki Music Centre with both resident orchestras, the Helsinki Philharmonic and the Finnish Radio Symphony and he performs with conductors such as Sakari Oramo, Hannu Lintu, Ernest Martínez-Izquierdo, Miguel Harth-Bedoya and Okko Kamu. Recent solo engagements include concerts and recordings with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, a tour in Germany with the NWD Philharmonic, concerts with foremost Finnish orchestras.