Birth

:

1974 in Helsinki, Finland

Genre

:

Avant-Garde

 

 

Chamber

 

 

Concerto

 

 

Keyboard

 

Laura Mikkola is a Finnish classical pianist who has gained international recognition for her virtuosic performances and deep musicality. Born in Helsinki in 1961, Mikkola began playing the piano at the age of five and quickly showed a natural talent for the instrument. She studied at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, where she received her Master's degree in piano performance. Mikkola's career as a concert pianist began in the early 1980s, when she won several prestigious competitions, including the Maj Lind Piano Competition in Helsinki and the Nordic Piano Competition in Copenhagen. These victories helped to launch her career and establish her as one of the most promising young pianists of her generation. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Mikkola performed extensively throughout Europe, Asia, and North America, collaborating with many of the world's leading orchestras and conductors. She made her debut with the London Symphony Orchestra in 1987, playing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4, and has since performed with many other major orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, and the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. Mikkola's repertoire is wide-ranging and includes works by many of the great composers of the classical and romantic eras, as well as contemporary composers. She has a particular affinity for the music of Jean Sibelius, the Finnish composer whose works she has championed throughout her career. In 1995, she recorded a critically acclaimed album of Sibelius's piano music for the Ondine label, which helped to establish her as one of the foremost interpreters of his music. In addition to her work as a soloist, Mikkola is also an accomplished chamber musician and has collaborated with many of the world's leading instrumentalists and vocalists. She has performed with the Emerson String Quartet, the Tokyo String Quartet, and the cellist Yo-Yo Ma, among others. Mikkola's performances have been praised for their technical brilliance, emotional depth, and musical sensitivity. She is known for her ability to bring out the nuances and subtleties of the music she plays, and for her ability to connect with audiences on a deep emotional level. Her performances are often described as transcendent and transformative, and she has been hailed as one of the greatest pianists of her generation. Throughout her career, Mikkola has received numerous awards and honors for her contributions to the world of classical music. In 1999, she was awarded the Pro Finlandia medal, one of the highest honors that can be bestowed upon a Finnish citizen, for her contributions to Finnish culture. She has also been awarded the Order of the Lion of Finland, the Sibelius Medal, and the Finnish State Prize for Music. Mikkola continues to perform and record regularly, and her recordings have received widespread critical acclaim. She has recorded for many of the world's leading classical music labels, including Ondine, BIS, and Naxos. Her most recent recording, released in 2020, features the piano music of the Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara. In addition to her work as a performer, Mikkola is also a dedicated teacher and has taught at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich. She is known for her ability to inspire and mentor young musicians, and many of her students have gone on to successful careers as performers and teachers.

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