Photo: Maarit Kytöharju

Ilkka Puputti

Ilkka Puputti has served as Principal Horn of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra since 2022. Before that, he spent a decade in the same position with the Lapland Chamber Orchestra in Rovaniemi. Alongside his orchestral work, Puputti is an active chamber musician, a commissioner and performer of new compositions, and a dedicated contributor to various music‑sector organizations.

Puputti has appeared as a soloist with, among others, the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, the Lapland Chamber Orchestra, and the St. Petersburg Academic Philharmonia. He has also performed as a guest principal with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. As a chamber musician, he has participated in numerous festivals not only in Finland but also in Canada, China, Austria, Hungary, the United Kingdom, Romania, Denmark, and the Faroe Islands. While living in Rovaniemi, he also taught horn at the Lapland Music Institute.

The recording of Kalevi Aho’s Horn Quintet, commissioned by Puputti with the support of the Arts Promotion Centre Finland, was released in the spring of 2024. Comfortable well beyond the boundaries of classical music, Ilkka can also be heard performing with Finnish popular artists, on film soundtracks, in theatre pits, and in MTV3’s Hockey Night theme music. And if the next rehearsal at the Kuhmo summer festival isn’t calling, he’s always happy to join you for a game of chess.