Petri Kumela, one of Finland’s most versatile and sought-after classical guitarists, is equally at home with period instruments as in working with contemporary composers. He is also one of the Finnish guitarists best known on the international scene, with a reputation for originality and versatility, whether he is giving a recital in Calcutta or a school concert in Japan, or motorising guitars in Mexico.
Winner of the first prize in the international Scandinavian Guitar Festival and Stafford Classical Guitar Recital competitions, Petri Kumela has appeared outside Finland in many European countries, South America, the United States, Russia, Japan, India and Bhutan, at venues that have ranged from intimate domestic concerts to Finlandia Hall in Helsinki, the Purcell Room in London’s Southbank Centre and the Kitara Hall in Sapporo.
An artist with a special commitment to contemporary music, Petri Kumela has premiered countless works both in Finland and abroad and has had many works dedicated to him by f.ex. Paavo Korpijaakko, Uljas Pulkkis, Minna Leinonen, Paola Livorsi, Joachim F.W. Schneider, Riikka Talvitie, Lotta Wennäkoski and Pehr Henrik Nordgren. His partnership with Nordgren alone resulted in six new additions to the Finnish repertoire, from solo works to a concerto, for various instrumental combinations. The nine recordings released so far by Petri Kumela have all won high critical acclaim, from e.g. Helsingin Sanomat, American Record Guide, Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) and the Finnish recording industry’s EMMA prize. In addition, he has made several recordings to YLE and other radio and television networks.
