“Lintu treated [Sibelius’ Symphony No. 7 in C major] like a tone poem, privileging color over narrative progression. Throughout the concert, the 55-year-old maestro seemed to get every stylistics effect he wanted from the Philharmonic’s players, a rare feat for a first outing.”

“…Lintu, dynamic and sharp on the podium, cultured fine control and well-judged balance across the sections of the orchestra…”

“Lintu, making his [Chicago Symphony Orchestra] debut, deserved plaudits for consistently maintaining a delicate sonic balance between soloist and a formidable orchestral accompaniment.”

“He achieved the subtlest of nuances […] achieved breathtaking crescendos […] A colourful, emotionally attuned and relentless reading.”

“Lintu is a superstar in the Sibelius world these days. His video recordings of all seven of the composer’s symphonies with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra can be seen and heard on cable television and elsewhere. Still, his rendition of the Symphony No. 2 in D with the NACO demonstrated the truism that even the best recordings pale beside the experience of a good live performance.”

“No other conductor – including several distinguished Sibelians – I have heard in this music has been quite so willing to show what makes [Kullervo] so original. Where others have attempted to connect it to the main, canonic body of Sibelius’s output, Lintu shows how it stands apart, and how if the composer had continued in this vein he might have become a sort of Finnish Bartók … A conductor given to big gestures, he drew a performance of gripping sweep, and playing of surging, full-blooded warmth.”

“Guest conducting the Cleveland Orchestra… Lintu made sure his name is one listeners will remember. Leading well-known works by Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev, Lintu seized on elements of drama and excitement to craft truly distinguished performances fuelled by seemingly boundless reserves of vitality.”