Vesa-Matti Leppänen

Supported by The Diessl Family

Born and raised in Finland, Leppänen relocated to New Zealand in 2000. In 2002, he was appointed as the Concertmaster of the NZSO, a position he has held since then.

Leppänen has dedicated over 20 years of his life to working alongside his colleagues to grow the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra into the globally renowned symphony orchestra it is today. Leppänen's contributions have brought him acclaim as a concertmaster but also as a soloist, chamber musician, and tutor on an international scale.

He has performed as soloist with all the major orchestras in New Zealand. In 2005 he led the NZSO on its European/Japanese Tour and again in 2010, including performances in the Musikverein in Vienna and Lucerne Festival Hall, where he was also featured as a soloist.

Internationally, Leppänen has appeared as a soloist, chamber musician and concertmaster in Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Philippines and Scandinavia, serving as guest concertmaster for orchestras including the Sydney and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras, the Japan Philharmonic, and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

Leppänen's chamber music collaborations include contemporary music group Stroma and a piano trio with pianist Diedre Irons and Andrew Joyce, principal cellist of the NZSO.

Vesa-Matti Leppänen plays a 1755 G.B. Guadagnini violin, made available thanks to the generosity of Ainsley Walter, Mark Stewart, and the NZSO Foundation.