Emil Holmström
Pianist Emil Holmström performs extensively as a soloist, chamber musician, and ensemble player. He has appeared as a soloist with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Lapland Chamber Orchestra, and Tapiola Sinfonietta, as well as performed contemporary music with his ensembles Uusinta Ensemble and defunensemble. Holmström graduated from the Sibelius Academy and continued his studies in Paris under Marie-Françoise Bucquet. He is the Artistic Director of the PianoEspoo Festival and has received numerous accolades, including the Classical Music Emma Award in 2019 for his recording of Schumann’s violin sonatas.
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Pianist Emil Holmström performs as a soloist, chamber musician, ensemble player, and in genre-defying events. He frequently appears at Finnish festivals and concert series and has performed as a soloist with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Lapland Chamber Orchestra, and Tapiola Sinfonietta.
Holmström’s current interests include 19th-century fortepianos and the rich diversity of contemporary music. He performs new music with his ensembles, Uusinta Ensemble and defunensemble, as well as as a guest with Avanti! Ensemble. He studied at the Sibelius Academy under Erik T. Tawaststjerna and continued his training in Paris with Marie-Françoise Bucquet.
Holmström’s work has been widely recognized with numerous awards. In 2017, he received a five-year artist grant from the Finnish Arts Council, and in 2019, his complete recording of Schumann’s violin sonatas with violinist Eriikka Maalismaa was nominated for YLE’s *Record of the Year* and the Classical Music Emma Award.
He has served as the artistic planner for various events and has been the Artistic Director of the PianoEspoo Festival since 2022.
www.emilholmstrom.com
Veli Kujala
Accordionist and composer Veli Kujala has received international recognition both as a performer and composer. A Doctor of Music graduate from the Sibelius Academy, Kujala is known for his innovative compositions, such as the widely acclaimed CybOrgan Concerto, and for co-developing the microtonal accordion with composer Sampo Haapamäki. Kujala has premiered over 70 works for the accordion, served as the Artistic Director of the October of New Music festival, and works as a lecturer in accordion music at the Sibelius Academy.
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Veli Kujala (b. 1976) studied accordion and composition at the Sibelius Academy, graduating in 2010 with a Doctor of Music degree. His doctoral research focused on contemporary Finnish accordion music. Kujala has received numerous awards in international competitions, both as a composer and performer.
Kujala’s diverse catalogue of works includes solo, chamber, and electroacoustic compositions, as well as concertos for solo instruments and orchestra. His early compositions emphasize organ music, with a notable example being the concerto *CybOrgan* for organ, infrared camera-controlled live electronics, and strings. His widely acclaimed album *Hyperorganism* was released in 2016 and was nominated for both the 2016 Classical Music Emma Award and Yle’s Record of the Year. In 2020, the Finnish Music Publishers Association honored him with the “Classical Composer of the Year” award. Kujala’s works have been performed by esteemed ensembles, including the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, the Finnish Defence Forces Band, the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, the Oulu Symphony Orchestra, UMO Jazz Orchestra, and the Zagros Ensemble.
As a soloist, Kujala has collaborated with numerous orchestras and premiered over 70 works for the accordion, including pieces for the microtonal accordion, a new instrument he co-developed with composer Sampo Haapamäki. He served as the Artistic Director of the *Oulu Music Festival’s October of New Music* from 2016 to 2018 and has been a lecturer in accordion music at the Sibelius Academy since autumn 2020.
Minna Leinonen
Minna Leinonen draws inspiration for her compositions from everyday life, cultural heritage, and ecological themes. Her works have been performed by leading ensembles, including the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Her chamber opera Alma! was nominated for the Nordic Council Music Prize in 2022, and her work …and we are rotating with it won the Teosto Prize in 2024. Leinonen teaches composition at the Sibelius Academy and the Pirkanmaa Music Institute, writes for Rondo magazine, and serves as the Artistic Director of the Tampere Biennale festival (2024–26).
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Minna Leinonen (b. 1977) draws inspiration for her compositions from everyday encounters, cultural heritage, and nature—not only its beauty but also ecological concerns.
Her music has been performed by ensembles such as the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, ICE Ensemble (NY), CHANGEnsemble, Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, Oulu Symphony Orchestra, Norrbotten NEO, Tapiola Sinfonietta, Zagros, TampereRaw, and Uusinta Ensemble.
Leinonen has participated in numerous projects where music interacts with dance, multimedia, acrobatics, photojournalism, and documentary film. Her opera *Alma!* was a nominee for the Nordic Council Music Prize and the Teosto Prize in 2022. Her work *…and we are rotating with it* won the Teosto Prize in 2024.
Leinonen hosts ”The Afternoon of the Fauns* concert series by the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra and teaches composition and its pedagogy part-time at the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki and the Pirkanmaa Music Institute. She is currently completing her artistic doctoral degree at the DocMus Department of the Sibelius Academy.
Additionally, she writes music columns for *Rondo* magazine and serves as the new Artistic Director of the Tampere Biennale festival for the 2024–2026 period. Leinonen is currently supported by a grant from the Finnish Cultural Foundation.