Mert Yalniz Appointed as 2024/25 Salonen Conducting Fellow

Alongside his work in the Colburn School's Negaunee Conducting Program, Yalniz will assist Esa-Pekka Salonen at the San Francisco Symphony

The Turkish-German conductor Mert Yalniz has been named as the Salonen Conducting Fellow for the 2024/25 season. The fellowship program will see him join the staff of the San Francisco Symphony, while also continuing his work in the Negaunee Conducting Program at the Colburn School.

Yalniz will work alongside current Fellow Aleksandra Melaniuk, and both conductors will be represented by Colburn Artists — the school's in-house management program. Colburn Artists has a small, focused roster, and aims to support its artists in their transition from study to a full-time career.

Yalniz is one of a small group of conductors who has been selected to take part in the Negaunee Conducting Program, which has been led by Esa-Pekka Salonen since 2018. Salonen provides these young conductors with personal mentorship as well as plenty of podium experience. During the 2024/25 season, Yalniz will act as Salonen's assistant for several programs with the San Francisco Symphony.

Yalniz has recently made appearances with the Uniorchester Leibniz, Braunschweiger Kammerorchester, Göttinger Symphonieorchester, Deutsches Juristenorchester, Beethoven Orchester Hessen, and the chamber orchestra La Tempesta. In the upcoming season, he will make his debut with the NDR Radiophilharmonie in Hanover.

A student of the noted Finnish pedagogue Jorma Panula, Yalniz has also performed in conducting classes with Joana Mallwitz, Matthias Bamert, and Ken Lam.

“The conducting program is exceptional in how it caters to a conductor’s specific needs while fostering a close relationship with Esa-Pekka Salonen, who is open and willing to answer any question, often casually mentioning insights that change your entire outlook,” said ​​former Salonen Fellow Ross Collins in a press release. “Salonen always makes you feel like an important part of the team, and his mentorship and support continue long after the program ends.”