John Storgårds

John Gunnar Rafael Storgårds (born 20 October 1963) is a Finnish conductor and violinist.

Biography John Storgårds was born in Helsinki, the son of economist Gunnar Storgårds and his wife, Marjatta (Ikonen) Storgårds. He studied violin with Esther Raitio and Jouko Ignatius at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, and continued his violin studies with Chaim Taub in Israel. He was a founding member of the Avanti! Chamber Orchestra. After experience leading orchestras from the front desk of the violin section, his interest in conducting increased after an invitation to conduct the Helsinki University Symphony Orchestra. He returned to the Sibelius Academy from 1993 to 1997 to study conducting with Jorma Panula and Eri Klas.

In 1996, Storgårds became Artistic Director of the Chamber Orchestra of Lapland. With the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, he became Principal Guest Conductor in 2003 and Chief Conductor in 2008, for an initial contract of 4 years. His Helsinki contract was extended to 2014 and Storgårds concluded his Helsinki tenure in 2015. From 2006 to 2009, he was Chief Conductor of the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra. Storgårds has held the Artistic Directorships of many summer festivals, most recently the Korsholm Music Festival from 2004 to 2006, and Avanti!'s Summer Sounds Festival. In 2017, he conducted the premiere of Sebastian Fagerlund's Autumn Sonata. In 2024, the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra announced the appointment of Storgårds as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2024–2025 season, with an initial contract of four seasons.

Outside Finland, Storgårds first guest-conducted the BBC Philharmonic in 2010. In 2011, the orchestra named him its principal guest conductor, effective January 2012. In 2017, the BBC Philharmonic changed Storgårds' title with the orchestra to chief guest conductor. In November 2022, the BBC Philharmonic named Storgårds its chief conductor, with immediate effect. In June 2025, the BBC Philharmonic announced the extension of Storgårds' contract as its chief conductor to 2028.

In 2013, Storgårds first guest-conducted the National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO). In 2015, the NACO named Storgårds as its new principal guest conductor, only the second conductor ever to hold the title, effective with the 2015–2016 season with an initial contract of three seasons. In 2025, the NACO announced the appointment of Storgårds as its next music director, effective with the 2026–2027 season.

Storgårds received the Finnish State Prize for Music in 2002. He has made several international recordings for Ondine, Sony, BIS, Da Capo Records, and Chandos Records, including recordings of music by Andrzej Panufnik, John Corigliano, Per Nørgård, and George Antheil. His recording of Pēteris Vasks's violin concerto Distant Light and Symphony No. 2 won the Cannes Classical Disc of the Year Award in 2004. In 2014, his recording with the BBC Philharmonic of the complete symphonies of Jean Sibelius was released, including his second recording of three fragments of the Eighth Symphony.

Storgårds and his family live in Rovaniemi. He and his wife, Kati Postila, have two sons.