Anssi Karttunen - cello
Finnish cellist Anssi Karttunen is one of the most reputable and versatile musicians on today's classical music scene. Exceedingly active both as a soloist and chamber musician, his repertoire covers all of the standard works for cello, as well as myriad forgotten masterpieces and his own arrangements. He plays on modern, classical, and baroque cellos, as well as the violoncello piccolo.
Anssi Karttunen is a passionate advocate for contemporary music. He has performed over 125 world premieres, collaborating with such composers as Magnus Lindeberg, Kaija Saariaho, Rolf Wallin, Luca Francesconi, and Tan Dun. An astounding 24 concertos have been written for him. He premiered Magnus Lindberg's cello concerto with the Orchestre de Paris, Esa-Pekka Salonen's Mania with Avanti!, Martin Matalon's cello concerto with the Orchestre National de France, and Luca Francesconi's Rest with the RAI Torino. Kaija Saariaho wrote the concerto Notes on Light for Karttunen, which he premiered with the Boston Symphoyn Orchestra, who commissioned the work, in February 2007. Performances of Notes on Light with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Swedish Radio, North German Radio Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, and the New World Symphony followed. In May 2010, Saariaho was awarded the Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award.
In autumn 2011, he will perform Notes on Light at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden to Wayne McGregor's critically acclaimed choreography. Further highlights in the 2011/2012 season include concerts with the Orchestre National de France and the Concertgebouw Orkest, a performance at the opening concert of the Musiikkitalo Helsinki, and a master class at Carnegie Hall in collaboration with Kaija Saariaho. In Buenos Aires, he will provide the soundtrack to choreography by Diana Theocharidis. His Zebra Trio, with violinist Ernst Kovacic and violist Steven Dann he will perform a number of concerts on both sides of the Atlantic.
Anssi Karttunen has worked with world-renowned orchestras such as the Philadelphia Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, BBC Symphony, NHK Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic, Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, Ensemble Modern, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Residentie Orchestra, Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona, Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic, RAI Torino, Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic, Avanti!, and many more. He also performs regularly as soloist and chamber musician at Europe's most important music festivals, including Edinburgh, Salzburg, Lockenhaus, Spoleto, Berlin, Venice, Montpellier, Straßburg, and Helsinki.
His recordings traverse a broad spectrum of musical taste, from Beethoven's complete works for cello and piano on period instruments, to 20th century solo pieces, to concertos performed with the London Sinfonietta and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. He has released recordings of concertos by Lindberg, Saariaho, and Salonen with Sony Classical. With Deutsche Grammophon, he released a DVD of Tan Dun's The Map for cello, video, and orchestra. He also appeared on the first ever contemporary music CD-ROM, Prisma, featuring the music of Kaija Saariaho. Karttunen is a founding member of www.petals.org, a non-profit organization for the production and sale of CDs and scores over the internet.
Born in 1960, Anssi Karttunen studied with Erkki Rautio, William Pleeth, Jacqueline du Pré, and Tibor de Machula, among others. Between 1994 and 1998 he was the artistic director of the Avanti! Chamber Orchestra. He directed the Helsinki Biennale in 1995 and the Suvisoitto Festival in Porvoo, Finland from 1994 until 1997. From 1999 until 2005 he was principal cellist with the London Sinfonietta. He has also appeared as a conductor with various ensembles. In February 2000, he stepped in last minute to conduct Lindberg's Kraft in Antwerp, and in January 2003, he conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic Cello Ensemble. Anssi Karttunen plays on a Francesco Ruggeri cello.
Anssi Karttunen is a passionate advocate for contemporary music. He has performed over 125 world premieres, collaborating with such composers as Magnus Lindeberg, Kaija Saariaho, Rolf Wallin, Luca Francesconi, and Tan Dun. An astounding 24 concertos have been written for him. He premiered Magnus Lindberg's cello concerto with the Orchestre de Paris, Esa-Pekka Salonen's Mania with Avanti!, Martin Matalon's cello concerto with the Orchestre National de France, and Luca Francesconi's Rest with the RAI Torino. Kaija Saariaho wrote the concerto Notes on Light for Karttunen, which he premiered with the Boston Symphoyn Orchestra, who commissioned the work, in February 2007. Performances of Notes on Light with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Swedish Radio, North German Radio Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, and the New World Symphony followed. In May 2010, Saariaho was awarded the Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award.
In autumn 2011, he will perform Notes on Light at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden to Wayne McGregor's critically acclaimed choreography. Further highlights in the 2011/2012 season include concerts with the Orchestre National de France and the Concertgebouw Orkest, a performance at the opening concert of the Musiikkitalo Helsinki, and a master class at Carnegie Hall in collaboration with Kaija Saariaho. In Buenos Aires, he will provide the soundtrack to choreography by Diana Theocharidis. His Zebra Trio, with violinist Ernst Kovacic and violist Steven Dann he will perform a number of concerts on both sides of the Atlantic.
Anssi Karttunen has worked with world-renowned orchestras such as the Philadelphia Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, BBC Symphony, NHK Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic, Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, Ensemble Modern, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Residentie Orchestra, Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona, Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic, RAI Torino, Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic, Avanti!, and many more. He also performs regularly as soloist and chamber musician at Europe's most important music festivals, including Edinburgh, Salzburg, Lockenhaus, Spoleto, Berlin, Venice, Montpellier, Straßburg, and Helsinki.
His recordings traverse a broad spectrum of musical taste, from Beethoven's complete works for cello and piano on period instruments, to 20th century solo pieces, to concertos performed with the London Sinfonietta and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. He has released recordings of concertos by Lindberg, Saariaho, and Salonen with Sony Classical. With Deutsche Grammophon, he released a DVD of Tan Dun's The Map for cello, video, and orchestra. He also appeared on the first ever contemporary music CD-ROM, Prisma, featuring the music of Kaija Saariaho. Karttunen is a founding member of www.petals.org, a non-profit organization for the production and sale of CDs and scores over the internet.
Born in 1960, Anssi Karttunen studied with Erkki Rautio, William Pleeth, Jacqueline du Pré, and Tibor de Machula, among others. Between 1994 and 1998 he was the artistic director of the Avanti! Chamber Orchestra. He directed the Helsinki Biennale in 1995 and the Suvisoitto Festival in Porvoo, Finland from 1994 until 1997. From 1999 until 2005 he was principal cellist with the London Sinfonietta. He has also appeared as a conductor with various ensembles. In February 2000, he stepped in last minute to conduct Lindberg's Kraft in Antwerp, and in January 2003, he conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic Cello Ensemble. Anssi Karttunen plays on a Francesco Ruggeri cello.
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Foto: Hanno Karttunen
Photo: Astrid Karger
Photo: Irmeli Jung