Curriculum Vitae

Antti Kaihola (born 1974) began his piano studies in 1982 with Sävy Nordgrén in the Conservatory of Turku, Finland. He graduated as a music instructor in 1994 and continued his studies in the Sibelius Academy under the guidance of Jussi Siirala, professor Liisa Pohjola and Juhani Lagerspetz. He played his concert diploma in May 2003 with excellent marks.

Kaihola has participated many Finnish and foreign piano and chamber music competitions. In 1988 he represented Finland at the Concertino Praga competition in Czechoslovakia. At the piano competition in Kil, Sweden in 1990 he finished second. With the 3rd prize at the national Maj Lind piano competition in Helsinki 1997 Antti gained his this far most important success. In May 1999 Kaihola took part in the Kyoto International Students Music Festival in Japan.

Antti Kaihola has frequently participated in mastercourses by teachers such as Konstantin Bogino, Olli Mustonen and György Sebök. He has also studied chamber music with Ralf Gothóni as well as lied music together with soprano Mari Palo under the guidance of Hartmut Höll.

Antti Kaihola has premiered contemporary Finnish music, e.g. Uljas Pulkkis's Sonata 1997 and his double piano concerto together with Antti Siirala in 2002. He premiered Eero Hämeenniemi's and Veli-Matti Puumala's song cycles together with soprano Mari Palo. Kaihola has performed on Finnish contemporary music festivals as a member of the Uusinta Chamber Orchestra and with other ensembles.

Currently Antti Kaihola works as a freelancer sharing his time between teaching and several chamber music projects. During the season 2003-04, in addition to his co-operation with the Kroustikon ensemble, Kaihola has worked with Dance Theatre Eri performing John Cage's Four Walls for piano, singer and dancer. He has also played in the premiere of chamber music pieces by Perttu Haapanen as well as given a concert with music written for oboe, clarinet and piano in the Sibelius Academy concert series together with members of the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra.

Antti Kaihola has created, together with pianist Junio Kimanen and composer Lauri Kilpiö, a novel elementary piano school "Musikatti". It consists of a bookful of new piano music for children with educational multimedia software for learning the basics of music theory.