Nikolaj Lund

Lauri Kankkunen

Born in 1990, Lauri Kankkunen started playing the cello when he was just five years old. He won third prize in the Turku Cello Competition in February 2014. He has played as soloist with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Turku Philharmonic, and the Lappeenranta City Orchestra, and performed chamber music at several festivals. He is principal cellist with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, a position he formerly held with the Tampere Philharmonic. Kankkunen plays classical music and jazz with the Pushkin Quintet and was a member of Apocalyptica’s North American tour in spring 2019. His main teachers were Pauli Heikkinen, Martti Rousi and Truls Mørk. He plays a Giacomo Rivolta cello from 1810 owned by Pro Filharmonia. In his spare time Lauri Kankkanen enjoys football, both as a player and a spectator.

Lauri Kankkunen

Programme