Olli Mustonen

Piano, composer

Olli Mustonen has a unique place on today’s music scene. Following the tradition of great masters such as Rachmaninov, Busoni and Enescu, Mustonen combines the roles of his musicianship as composer, pianist and conductor in an equal balance that is quite exceptional, often bringing them together in one fascinating triple role performance. This season, he takes up the position of Principal Guest Conductor of the Lapland Chamber Orchestra in 2023–2025 where he will combine orchestral concerts with chamber music and recitals.

Alongside three symphonies, large-scale chamber works and concertos occupy a central place in Olli Mustonen’s work as a composer. In recent years, Mustonen has been featured as a composer in residence at festivals including KMF Sylt in Germany, Klassiske Dage in Holstebro, Denmark, and Festival Konvergencie in Bratislava, Slovakia, and has served as Artist in Residence with the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich. In 2024, his flute concerto Sagoberättare (Storyteller) was premiered at the opening concert of the Concentus Moraviae Festival in the Czech Republic, while his violin concerto Larin Paraske was premiered at the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra’s Independence Day concert.

Mustonen’s extensive discography includes several award-winning recordings, including his recording of preludes by Alkan and Shostakovich, which received both an Edison Award and a Gramophone Award. Other notable recordings include a complete recording of Beethoven’s piano concertos with Tapiola Sinfonietta, Respighi’s Concerto in modo misolidio with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Sakari Oramo, as well as solo recordings of works by Bach, Tchaikovsky, Sibelius, Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev and Shostakovich. His complete recording of Sergei Prokofiev’s piano concertos with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and conductor Hannu Lintu is now being followed by recordings of Béla Bartók’s concertos. Mustonen served as Artistic Director of the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra until 2023 and recorded his Second and Third Symphonies with the orchestra.

Olli Mustonen received the Hindemith Prize in 2019. He has also been awarded the Suomi Prize by the Finnish Ministry of Culture and the Pro Finlandia Medal of the Order of the Lion of Finland.

Born in Helsinki, Olli Mustonen began his studies in piano, harpsichord, and composition at the age of five. Initially learning with Ralf Gothoni, he subsequently studied piano with Eero Heinonen and composition with Einojuhani Rautavaara.

Photo: Laura Malmivaara