1971

Vänskä becomes principal clarinet of the Turku Philharmonic

1977

Vänskä begins conducting studies at the Sibelius Academy and is appointed co-principal clarinet of the Helsinki Philharmonic

1982

Vänskä wins first prize at the Besançon International Young Conductors competition

1985

Vänskä hired as principal guest conductor of Lahti Symphony; city population of 100,000, located an hour's drive north of Helsinki

1987

Swedish record label BIS makes its first Lahti Symphony recording under Vänskä

1988

Lahti Symphony appoints Vänskä principal conductor/artistic director

1991

Vänskä and Lahti Symphony receive first Gramophone award, one of Europe's most prestigious recording prizes

1993

Vänskä becomes chief conductor of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra

1995

Vänskä makes first appearance at the London Proms, with the BBC Scottish Symphony

1996

Vänskä becomes chief conductor of BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra; also conducts Lahti Symphony in first modern performance of a newly rediscovered tone poem by Jean Sibelius, The Wood Nymph

2000

City of Lahti, revitalized by the rising reputation of its orchestra, opens the 1,250-seat Sibelius Hall, a state-of-the-art, all-wood concert hall (the elegant building overlooks the city's main natural feature, Water Lake)

2001

Minnesota Orchestra names Vänskä its tenth music director, effective September 2003. The BBC Scottish Symphony tours eleven American cities under Vänskä's leadership

2002

Vänskä receives an honorary doctorate from the University of Glasgow in recognition of his role as chief conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony; also receives a Royal Philharmonic Society Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to classical music during 2001

2003

In September, Osmo Vänskä opens the Minnesota Orchestra's 101st season as its tenth music director; Vänskä's recordings with BIS number more than 50, with plans for an ambitious new series of recordings with the Minnesota Orchestra to commence with the 2003-04 season.

2004

Vänskä leads Minnesota Orchestra on an eleven city critically acclaimed tour of Europe; in December is named 2005 Conductor of the Year by Musical America.

2005

Vänskä and Minnesota Orchestra release BIS recording featuring Beethoven Symphonies No. 4 & 5, "where the whole orchestra shines in majestic joy," according to The New York Times; Vänskä extends contract with the Minnesota Orchestra through 2011.

2006

Vänskä leads the Minnesota Orchestra on a critically-lauded European Festivals tour that includes the ensemble’s debut at the BBC Proms in London. In October Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony becomes the third album released in the Vänskä/Minnesota Orchestra Beethoven symphony cycle. According to The New Yorker, “This is some of the most vivid Beethoven playing on the market.”

2007

Vänskä supports work of American composers, leading seven new compositions in FutureClassics performance, as part of Orchestra’s ongoing Composer Institute.

2008

Minnesota Orchestra’s recording of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony receives Grammy Award nomination for “Best Orchestral Recording.”