Kalevi Aho

Kalevi Ensio Aho (born 9 March 1949) is a Finnish composer. Early years Aho began his interest in music at the age of ten, when he discovered a mandolin in his home and began to teach himself how to play it. He soon was taken under the tutelage of Martti Loikkanen, the boy’s 4th grade teacher and founder of a local youth mandolin ensemble in Forssa. After learning how to read sheet music, Aho immediately started composing. Aho progressed so fast on the instrument that Loikkanen suggested he study the violin as well, with Loikkanen giving him private lessons. Aho also began to learn violin at an incredible speed, with him later recalling, “Martti taught me at home for free until I started skipping him out of my playing skills and he suggested changing teachers.” Aho’s parents were quite supportive of his musical hobby, encouraging him to compose and giving him a piano at the age of 15. Music Known principally as a composer of large-scale works, Aho has composed eighteen symphonies, forty-five concertos, five operas and several vocal works. His chamber music includes several quintets, quartets, sonatas and solo works. He first came to fame with his first symphony (1969) and second st