Kompositör

Finnish composer Minna Leinonen’s works are often inspired by everyday life, nature, literature, and cultural heritage. She sees beauty and friction as complementary elements in music, both of which are necessary to reflect the changing world and human interaction with it. Performers of Leinonen’s compositions include, among others, the BBC Philharmonic, Norrbotten Neo, KNM Berlin, the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Västerås Sinfonietta and Ostrobothnian chamber orchestra. Her string quartet ...and we are rotating with it won the prestigious Teosto Prize in 2024, and her accordion concerto Avalanche won the Emma Prize for classical music that same year. Her opera Alma! about Alma Mahler was nominated for the Nordic Music Prize in 2022.

Leinonen earned her Doctor of Music degree from the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts in 2025, with a thesis on the notation of contemporary music in the interaction between composer and performer. Working on an equal basis in interdisciplinary art projects is particularly important to her. 

barytone, professor - Finland

 Josefine Andersson och Daniel Beskow

Eko från Karelen

Sång på finska och svenska och spel på Finlands uråldriga nationalinstrument kantele.

Anna Heikkinen är sverigefinsk sångerska, musiker och scenkonstnär från Göteborg. Utbildad vid Musikhögskolan Ingesund i Arvika, Högskolan för Scen och Musik i Göteborg och vid Roy Hart Voice Centre i Frankrike. Genom musiken och sången söker hon efter historia och rötter, ett förlorat språk och en sverigefinsk identitet. Med gruppen Längtans Kapell har hon släppt albumet Omenatango och turnerar med musik- och berättarföreställningen Satumaa-Sagolandet. Annas pappa kom som krigsbarn från Finland till Sverige på 40-talet. Som andra generationen sverigefinne omfamnar Anna den finska kulturskatten och gräver djupt i den finska musikhistorien. Hon förenar tradition med eget utforskande i både text och vokala och instrumentala improvisationer. I föreställningen Den röda kantelen bjuder hon in publiken till en sagolik värld av sång, berättande och kantelens magiska toner.

Mer om Anna:

www.annaheikkinen.se

Fotograf: Magnus Lorentzson. 

Niilo Ruotsala (2002) is a pianist from Finland. Despite his young age he is an experienced artist who has had the opportunity to perform in various music festivals including Mänttä Music Festival (Young artist), Kaustinen Chamber Music Festival (Young artist of the year) and Juuka Music Festival to name a few.

Ruotsala started his musical studies in the piano class of Eero Manninen at the East Helsinki Music Institute and later continued his studies at the Helsinki Conservatory of Music in the class of Antti Hotti. Currently he is studying at the Sibelius Academy with Teppo Koivisto as his teacher. During the academic year 2025/2026 Ruotsala had the privilege to do an exchange in Zürcher Hochschule der Künste as a student of Till Fellner.

Ruotsala was a member of the Youth Piano Academy of Finland during 
 2018—2021. During his time there he participated in the masterclasses of Aquiles Delle-Vigne, Marc-André Hamelin and Nikolai Lugansky to name a few.

Ruotsala has reached success in many competitions such as the Steinway Piano Festival in Finland and Golden Classical Music Awards. His prize from the Golden Classical Music Awards gave him an opportunity to perform at the prestigious Carnegie Hall. Niilo has also exceeded well in chamber music; he and his lied-partner Johan Krogius were awarded the first prize in Helsinki Lied competition.

Ruotsala's playing has been supported by the Finnish Culture Foundation, the Majaoja Foundation and the Pro Musica Foundation.

foto: Tuomas Tenkanen