The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra has named another high-profile soloist and conductor as its newest artistic partner. Pekka Kuusisto is known not only for violin virtuosity, but also for imaginative collaborations with a wide variety of artists, including folk, electronic and jazz bands as well as a juggler and a fashion designer.

The 38-year-old from Finland, whose tenure begins in September 2016, has never made such a commitment with an American orchestra. The opportunity to explore new ways to work and perform with the SPCO "gives me reindeer-bumps," he said in an interview. "I've spent the last 20 years exploding in all directions, so this chance with the SPCO to focus a bit more in one place makes me super happy."

A big fan of new music by contemporary composers including Nico Muhly and Bryce Dessner, Kuusisto said he has also been playing more chamber music lately because he's enjoying the challenges of directing from his instrument.

"One thing I'm looking to do in St. Paul is tackle more complicated scores without a conductor," he said. "The SPCO musicians are willing to take on that responsibility, and it will give us a whole new set of tools to work with."

Kuusisto has performed with dozens of top orchestras around the world since winning the prestigious Sibelius Violin Competition at age 19 in 1995. This season, he will play a choreographed version of Sibelius' Violin Concerto with a pianist, a flamenco dancer and a ballet dancer at the Dresdner Musikfestspiele. Kuusisto, who has appeared with the SPCO three times over the past several years, recently played a Schubert Club recital with an accordionist at the new Ordway Concert Hall, which he calls "a dream. I couldn't find anything wrong with it, and that's extremely rare."

The SPCO's other current artistic partners are pianist Jeremy Denk, clarinetist Martin Fröst and violinists Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Thomas Zehetmair.

"It's a fascinating group to be part of," he said. "I hope the combined effect of all of us adds up to more than the sum of its parts."

Kuusisto is director of an award-winning music festival in Sibelius' hometown, and has created a project celebrating the Finnish composer's 150th anniversary this year. He recently e-mailed his fellow Finn and Sibelius fan, Minnesota Orchestra music director Osmo Vänskä, "to say we should come up with a fun way to combine our time in Minnesota," he said. "Between us and the Minnesota Wild, the Finns seem to be invading."

Before his partnership begins, Kuusisto will lead two SPCO concerts in early April 2016. The first half of the program will feature contemporary works, the second Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5 and movements from Haydn's Symphony No. 88.

Kristin Tillotson • 612-673-7046