Photo: Tero Ahonen

Anna-Mari Kähärä

Anna-Mari Kähärä is a versatile composer whose greatest inspiration comes from poetry. Kähärä is perhaps best known for transforming Finnish poetry to songs and for her choir music. She also works extensively as a composer, musician and music producer in both theatre and cinema.

“Jazz is the music of my soul but I like to mix all the music I have listened to and studied throughout my life, especially classical music and Finnish folk music!”

Kähärä’s latest theatre composition is the 2021 hit musical Kysy Siskoilta in Turku City Theatre. She was also the conductor and pianist in the production. Kähärä composed and produced music for the Documentary Film Armotonta menoa – Hoivatyön lauluja / Ruthless Times – Songs (2022) which has won multiple prizes at domestic and foreign film festivals. In this documentary film nurses and retiree citizens sing to protest the failings of the elderly care system. The motto of the film was: what cannot be talked about has to be sung!

Kähärä has produced music for a variety of records, performed in multiple music ensembles as a vocalist and musician including Anna-Mari Kähärä Orchestra, How Many Sisters, and Pekka Kuusisto ja Luomu Players. Her awards include a Yrjö jazz prize, a Suomi award and an Emma music award for the Tippukivitapaus Musical.