Live Brahms’ Violin Concerto Fri 23 – Sat 24 October

Emilia Hoving has emerged as one of the most exciting young Finnish conductors of today: “eminently supple and expressive, with a thrilling grace and naturalness in her gestures… an immense talent… magnetic” – Resmusica In 2025/26, Hoving begins her three-year tenure as Associate Conductor with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, following performances with the ensemble last season at Cadogan Hall and the Bristol Beacon. This season, she makes her debut with the Bamberg Symphony and with the Hallé Orchestra, and returns to conduct the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony, Malmo Symphony, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. In recent months she was invited back to the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Adelaide Symphony, and Norwegian Radio, and debuted with the Royal Philharmonic, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Strasbourg Philharmonic, Belgian National, Nagoya Philharmonic, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Sao Paolo Symphony, with immediate reinvitations almost everywhere. In 2025 she also made her mainstage opera debut, conducting Opera North in several performances of The Magic Flute.

Hoving regularly conducts works by living (especially Finnish) composers. In October 2024 she conducted the BBC Scottish Symphony in the prestigious Nordic Music Days festival and is closely involved with the Helsinki Philharmonic’s ongoing project to revive works by neglected Finnish composers from the last century. Hoving’s career began as Assistant to Hannu Lintu at the Finnish Radio Symphony (2019) and to Mikko Franck at Radio France (2020-22). Both posts both led to important jump-ins which catapulted her to the limelight, notably when she took over a concert with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France in the Berlin Philharmonie at only a few hours’ notice: “sensationell” (Tagesspiegel, March 2022). She went on to make significant debuts at Tokyo’s Suntory Hall with the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony (2022), at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic (2024) and at London’s Royal Festival Hall with the Philharmonia Orchestra (also 2024).

Born in 1994, Hoving studied at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki with Professors Sakari Oramo and Atso Almila, having begun conducting studies in 2015 with Jorma Panula. She previously studied piano (from age 6) as well as the clarinet. In 2021 she won the Finnish critics’ prize 2021 for the Best Newcomer in the Arts.

See Emilia Hoving conduct Brahms’ Violin Concerto with the RSNO on 22, 23 and 24 October 2026.

When did you join the RSNO?
I joined the RSNO in May 2011.

Where are you from?
I was born in Tokyo, Japan.

Where did you study?
I studied in Los Angeles and London.

What do you enjoy most about being in the RSNO?
The warmth of the musicians and management team, and the collective desire to bring music of the highest possible quality and enjoyment to the public.

Tell us your favourite RSNO story/memory so far.
I haven’t been here long enough to recount in any substantial way, but there are some keen bakers in the 1st violins – no birthday in the section goes amiss without a cake! Lovely, no?

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not playing with the Orchestra?
I love experiencing good food and wine with my husband, family and friends. And great art, architecture and cinema. And beautiful countryside. And travelling for all these pleasures.

Do you have any hidden talents?
Hmm, that would be telling… no, thought about it, not much!

You’re stranded on a desert island. You’re allowed 3 CDs and 1 book. What would they be, and why?
Bach Goldberg Variations – how could one not? Schumann Dichterliebe – I first heard it at age 15 – it was life-changing. Bartok Violin Concerto No.2 – to remind me of the reason why I play the violin. BKS Iyengar ‘Light on Yoga’ – should whip me into shape in body and mind.

Watch Maya perform Chevalier de Saint-Georges’ Violin Concerto in A Major: