Anneli Arho

Full biography Anneli Arho

Anneli Arho is a Finnish music educator, writer, and composer, born on April 12, 1951, in Helsinki. She studied theory and composition at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, where she also taught composition and ear training. Her music has been performed in numerous festivals and concert series both in Finland and abroad. She has also written extensively on music and has published several books and articles on various aspects of Finnish music.

Arho's compositions often explore themes related to Finnish folklore and mythology, and she has also been influenced by modernist and postmodernist musical styles. Some of her notable works include "Kalevala Suite" (1985), "Songs of the Sea" (2003), and "Concerto for Violin and Orchestra" (2007). In her compositions, Arho demonstrates a unique sensitivity to the timbral possibilities of instruments and employs a rich harmonic vocabulary.

In addition to her composition work, Arho has also been active in music education. She has taught at the Sibelius Academy, Helsinki Conservatory of Music, Turku Conservatory of Music, and the Oulu University of Applied Sciences, where she was a professor of music from 1995 until her retirement in 2009.

Arho has received numerous awards and honors for her work as a composer and educator, including the Finnish State Prize for Music in 2001. She remains an active member of the Finnish music community, and her works are widely performed and admired both in Finland and abroad.