Photos: Career retrospective: Esa-Pekka Salonen

Esa-Pekka Salonen, a native of Finland, made his U.S. debut as guest conductor of the L.A. Philharmonic on Nov. 29, 1984, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.  (Scott Flynn / Los Angeles Times)

Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic in Salzburg, Austria, on Aug. 6, 1992.  (Franz Neumayr / APA / AFP)

Salonen, left, says one of his career highlights was collaborating with director Peter Sellars, right, on the groundbreaking “The Tristan Project.” “When there’s a very clear focus, then you can dig deeper and deeper,” Salonen says.  (Paul Morse / Los Angeles Times)

Esa-Pekka Salonen leads the Philharmonic through “LA Variations” at the Hollywood Bowl on Aug. 20, 1998. Salonen composed the piece, which since has been taken up by several other conductors and had more than 80 performances worldwide.  (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Salonen, left, and John Adams after a performance of “Naive and Sentimental Music” on Feb. 20, 1999, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.  (Axel Koester / Los Angeles Times)

Salonen, in whites and whistle, conducts Magnus Lindberg’s “Kraft” at the Ojai Music Festival on June 7, 1999.  (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

On Oct. 7, 2000, Salonen returned to the podium after a year’s sabbatical to conduct the orchestra in symphonies by Haydn and Bruckner in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.  (Con Keyes / Los Angeles Times)

Salonen conducts and soprano Dawn Upshaw sings during a performance of John Adams’ “Memorial de Tlatelolco” at the Ojai Music Festival in 2001.  (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

Frank Gehry and Salonen give a tour of Walt Disney Concert Hall on Oct. 11, 2003. A performance of Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” by the Philharmonic in an acoustically lively concert hall in Paris in 1996 finally stimulated board members and donors to make a new venue a reality.  (Alexander Gallardo / Los Angeles Times)

Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor Esa -Pekka Salonen performs on the opening night at the $274-million Walt Disney Concert Hall on Oct. 23, 2003.  (Anacleto Rapping / Los Angeles Times)

Salonen conducts the world premiere of “Wing on Wing,” which he wrote to celebrate Disney Hall, on June 5, 2004.  (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times)

The second act of “The Tristan Project,” featuring video productions by Bill Viola and minimal stage direction by Peter Sellars, at Disney Hall on Dec. 7, 2004.  (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

Salonen calls Green Umbrella, the Philharmonic’s new music series, one of its “great victories.” Here, Salonen leads musicians in his composition “Catch and Release” in 2007.   (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

Esa-Pekka Salonen, with L.A. Phil President Deborah Borda in background, introduces Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel as his replacement.   (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Soprano Renee Fleming, singing Ravel and Puccini, helps get the 2007 season off to a rousing start.  (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

“From the point of view of language, Finland is my home,” says Salonen, on Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades with his daughter Ella. “But in every other way, L.A. is. Two of my kids were born here, and I have to say we have had a very good life here.”  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Salonen helped the Philharmonic develop an international reputation. “The moment of enlightenment happened when I finally understood that what I have to do is create an identity for the orchestra that is typical of this place and time,” he said.  (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)