Juho Laitinen
(b. 1977) is a researching musician: cellist, improviser, composer,
writer and teacher. He performs as a soloist and chamber and orchestral
musician,
teaches at Sibelius Academy, records for
Finnish Broadcasting Company and is the editor for online
magazine
Amfion.
Juho has a particular interest in the tradition of American and
European avant-garde. His
repertoire
includes works by Cage, Scelsi and Stockhausen among others. Also
the most recent music – improvisation – is important. In this
realm he has worked for example with John Zorn, Elliott Sharp and
Christian Wolff.
He also plays the baroque cello and performs the Classical music of the Near East.
Juho pursues his interest in the
possibilities of electronic sound manipulation in the duo
Sound Dentistry. Among the works he has
commissioned and premiered are
On Air-Line for cello, electronics and big band by Riikka Talvitie and
Boost for
cello and analog synthesizer, in extended just intonation, by
Juhani Nuorvala.
Throughout his career Juho has played with several jazz musicians, currently with the band of
Pepa Päivinen.
He studied at Turku Conservatory and
Royal College of Music in London and additionally in Rome and New York, with Timo Hanhinen,
Jérôme Pernoo and
Petr Kotik
as his main mentors. Currently he is working towards a doctorate at
Sibelius Academy with "Innovations in 20th century cello music" as his
topic. In the five recitals he performs music
by Feldman, Lucier, Nancarrow and Xenakis as well
as works of his own.
Recently Juho has given recitals in Finland as well as in the Czech Republic, Italy, Germany,
Russia and USA. He curates
Kallio New Music Days
festival, that had its first instalment in January. This spring he
played in New York
and on a little Russian tour with flutist Kari Heinilä. In the summer
festivals in Kerava, Pori, Korpo, Sipoo, Viitasaari and Lake Tuusula
ensue.