Anssi Karttunen
“ [He] is equally at home in a Romantic concerto as in music of the Baroque or the present day.” – Finnish Music Quarterly
Finnish cellist Anssi Karttunen has always been on the cutting edge of classical music performance and is one of the most innovative cellists in today’s international music scene. He subsequently built up a worldwide reputation both as a soloist and chamber musician. In his repertoire, he takes a fresh look at the work of well-known composers and brings forgotten masterpieces to the public ear, as well as his own original transcriptions. He plays on modern, classical, and Baroque cellos, as well as violoncello piccolo and electric cello.
Anssi Karttunen is a passionate advocate of contemporary music. He has performed over 170 world premieres, collaborating with such composers as Magnus Lindberg, Tan Dun, Pascal Dusapin, Luca Francesconi, and Kaija Saariaho. Saariaho’s Notes on Light is one of 29 concerts written for him, this work he has performed over 50 times.
Anssi Karttunen has worked with leading international orchestras around the world and appeared at the foremost music festivals. His recordings reflect a broad musical spectrum, from Beethoven and Brahms to Dutilleux and Toshio Hosokawa. He has given masterclasses at Carnegie Hall, New York, Cello Biënnale Amsterdam, Juilliard School, and Royal Academy of Music, London. In 2008 he initiated the annual Creative Dialogue workshop in Santa Fe in collaboration with the Sibelius Academy, Helsinki. Since 2014 he has taught at the École Normale de Musique in Paris.
