John Storgårds is a conductor and violinist notable for his commitment to contemporary music. Storgårds performed with various orchestras, sometimes holding the position of concertmaster, and he co-founded the Avanti! Chamber Orchestra. In 1996, he became the artistic director of the Chamber Orchestra of Lapland. Storgårds made his recording debut as a violinist, performing Kaija Saariaho's Graal théâtre for violin and reduced orchestra in 2002. Storgårds became the principal guest conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra in 2003, and his first recording as a conductor came with that group the following year, leading performances of the Symphony No. 2 and Mannheim Rocket of John Corigliano. Storgårds became the principal guest conductor of the BBC Philharmonic in 2012 and of the National Arts Centre Orchestra in 2015. In 2022, he conducted the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra in a recording of the Sibelius and Nielsen violin concertos with Johan Dalene.