Niko Kumpuvaara

As one of the most active and innovative Finnish accordionists of his generation, Niko Kumpuvaara is a multifaceted and highly sought-after musician. New accordion music has a special place in his solo and chamber-music repertoire. Over the years, Kumpuvaara has given world premiere performances of numerous works ranging from solo pieces to concertos.

In addition to classical music, pop music and improvisation are close to his heart too. In these genres, his regularly collaborates with the legendary Finnish big band Dallapé, Maria Ylipää and Friends, and the ensemble Comics in Concert, which seeks to bring together the worlds of music and comic strips. Throughout his career, Kumpuvaara has received much critical acclaim. He took first prize in the famous Klingenthal International Accordion Competition and was awarded third prize at the Gaudeamus Interpreters Competition, the largest contemporary-music competition in the world, open to all instrumentalists.