Kuopion Kaupunginorkesteri

 
 

Second Conductor – Atso Almila

Atso Almila was born in 1953 in Helsinki, Finland, and presently lives in Kuopio. He studied trombone with Olavi Lampinen and orchestral conducting with Professor Jorma Panula at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, graduating in orchestral conducting in 1979.

Almila has been the conductor of various outstanding Finnish choirs, and was the musical director of the National Theatre of Finland between 1982 and 1995. He was principal conductor of the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra between 1987-1989 and professor of orchestral conducting at the Sibelius Academy of the University of Arts in Helsinki 2013-2019 until his retirement. From 1995-2000 Almila was principal conductor of the Joensuu Orchestra, continuing with Joensuu again from 2010, first as artistic advisor and 2011-2013 as principal conductor; 1995-2000 he acted as the artistic director of the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra and again from 2007 as second conductor.

Almila has worked as a conductor mainly in Finland and Sweden as well as touring with Europe’s youth philharmonics. He has conducted several opera productions at the Finnish National Opera and elsewhere in Finland, and is renowned for his ability in big cross-over productions. Almila has composed seven operas, five symphonies, numerous concertos, chamber music for brass and other ensembles and music for theatre and film. He has also conducted various recordings for TV, film and radio.

He has published a book about conducting and fellow students in the seventies with his former teacher, professor Jorma Panula (2010).

(Updated June 1st, 2020)

 

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