Juho Laitinen
(b. 1977) is a cellist, improviser, composer, writer, teacher and
researcher. He performs music composed in the last four centuries but
has lately concentrated his efforts towards the music of the last one hundred or so years.
Juho performs as a soloist and chamber and orchestral musician,
teaches at Sibelius Academy and Kokkola Conservatory, records for
Finnish Broadcasting Company and is the editor-in-chief for online
magazine
Amfion.
Juho has a particular interest in the tradition of American and
European avant-garde. His
repertoire includes works by
John Cage, Giacinto Scelsi and Karlheinz Stockhausen among others. Also
the most recent music and therefore improvisation and his own composing
are important.
He is also fascinated by the
possibilities of electronic sound manipulation. 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. Among other contemporary composers he has worked
closely with are Christian Wolff, Betsy Jolas, John Zorn, Elliott
Sharp and Jukka Tiensuu.
Juho also appears as a baroque cellist and has lately been studying the Classical music of the Near East.
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 Morton Feldman, Alvin
Lucier, Conlon Nancarrow and Iannis 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. In February he performs in New York
and goes on a little Russian tour with flutist Kari Heinilä.