Timo-Juhani Kyllönen

Timo-Juhani Kyllönen (born 1 December 1955) studied at the Gnesin Institute in Moscow, obtaining diplomas in the accordion, orchestral conducting and pedagogics. He then continued at the Tchaikovsky Conservatoire, studying composition, instrumentation and counterpoint with Aleksei Nikolayev, Yuri Fortunatov and Aleksander Chugayev. Kyllönen is a prolific composer who has composed a large number of works including orchestral and chamber music, vocal and choral works. The core of his oeuvre consists of chamber, choral and vocal pieces for various combinations of voices and instruments. His aim is to communicate with people, and his music is indeed marked by a natural mode of expression in which melody often plays an important part. His works include several operas such as Tango Solo, a monologue opera in Spanish set in Buenos Aires by Night, premiered in 2011. Among his orchestral works are Lichtenthal (1998), the Accordion Concerto (2001), Concerto grosso (2002), Amor vivus for baritone and orchestra (2007), Missa festiva (2008), Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra ‘Cadiz’ (2012) and the Marimba Concerto (2017). Many of Kyllönen's works have won an established position in the repertoire of musicians and choirs both in Finland and abroad. Concerts of his works have been given in New York, Moscow, Paris, Finland, Sweden, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Peru, Brazil and Cuba. His music has also been widely performed in Europe, Asia, Australia, North and Latin America. Kyllönen has taught music theory, composition and chamber music at the Sibelius Academy since 1986. He is also an active musician and choral conductor.