Conductor Paavo Berglund transformed several orchestras into world-class ensembles over his long career. Known as a perfectionist, he specialized in the music of Sibelius and made three complete recordings of his symphonies (with the Helsinki Philharmonic, the Bournemouth Symphony, and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe). In 1962, Berglund became the chief conductor of the Finnish Radio Symphony. Known as a dictator on the podium, he vastly improved that group's quality. He repeated the feat with England's Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, which he frequently conducted as a guest in the late 1960s, and of which he became the principal conductor in 1972. He made his U.S. debut with the American Symphony Orchestra in 1978. From 1987 to 1991, he was the principal conductor of the Stockholm Philharmonic. Berglund left more than 100 recordings, recording with most of the ensembles he headed as principal conductor.