Biography
Guitarist Ismo Eskelinen first reached wide audiences through repeated appearances on Finnish television, drawing fresh attention to the classical guitar while placing strong emphasis on contemporary repertory and an unusually high count of world premieres.
Born August 2, 1971, in the lakeside city of Kuopio, Eskelinen trained under Oscar Ghiglia, Timo Korhonen, and pianist Ralf Gothóni, later completing his studies in master classes that included the guitarist and composer Leo Brouwer. In his late teens and twenties he secured several competition victories, taking first prize at the Ekenäs Scandinavian Guitar Competition in 1989, the Gargnano competition in 1997, and the Leo Brouwer Competition in 1998. Those successes opened doors to major orchestral engagements both inside and outside Finland, among them appearances with the Helsinki Philharmonic, the BBC Symphony, and the Nordwest Deutsche Philharmonie.
A regular participant at summer festivals, Eskelinen became the first guitarist invited to events in Moritzburg, Dresden, and Charlottesville. As a chamber musician he has worked with violinists Pekka Kuusisto and Karen Gomyo. His dedication to new music has produced premieres of works by Einojuhani Rautavaara, Aulis Sallinen, and Kalevi Aho, among others, yet this focus has not limited his broader appeal; for an entire year he performed weekly on Finnish television, reaching roughly 500,000 viewers per broadcast.
Eskelinen launched his recording career on the Alba label in 2004 with an album devoted to guitar music by Manuel Ponce. He remained with Alba through the mid-2010s, releasing discs that ranged from Bach to Olli Mustonen. In 2018 he joined the BIS roster for an album of music by Sebastian Fagerlund and later recorded Kromos for the same label in 2020. He also partnered with cellist Jan Vogler on the 2019 Sony Classical release Songbook. Alongside his performing schedule, Eskelinen holds the position of lecturer-in-charge of guitar at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and serves as artistic director of both the Riihimäki summer concerts and the Sonkajärvi Soi Festival.
Born August 2, 1971, in the lakeside city of Kuopio, Eskelinen trained under Oscar Ghiglia, Timo Korhonen, and pianist Ralf Gothóni, later completing his studies in master classes that included the guitarist and composer Leo Brouwer. In his late teens and twenties he secured several competition victories, taking first prize at the Ekenäs Scandinavian Guitar Competition in 1989, the Gargnano competition in 1997, and the Leo Brouwer Competition in 1998. Those successes opened doors to major orchestral engagements both inside and outside Finland, among them appearances with the Helsinki Philharmonic, the BBC Symphony, and the Nordwest Deutsche Philharmonie.
A regular participant at summer festivals, Eskelinen became the first guitarist invited to events in Moritzburg, Dresden, and Charlottesville. As a chamber musician he has worked with violinists Pekka Kuusisto and Karen Gomyo. His dedication to new music has produced premieres of works by Einojuhani Rautavaara, Aulis Sallinen, and Kalevi Aho, among others, yet this focus has not limited his broader appeal; for an entire year he performed weekly on Finnish television, reaching roughly 500,000 viewers per broadcast.
Eskelinen launched his recording career on the Alba label in 2004 with an album devoted to guitar music by Manuel Ponce. He remained with Alba through the mid-2010s, releasing discs that ranged from Bach to Olli Mustonen. In 2018 he joined the BIS roster for an album of music by Sebastian Fagerlund and later recorded Kromos for the same label in 2020. He also partnered with cellist Jan Vogler on the 2019 Sony Classical release Songbook. Alongside his performing schedule, Eskelinen holds the position of lecturer-in-charge of guitar at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and serves as artistic director of both the Riihimäki summer concerts and the Sonkajärvi Soi Festival.
Albums
Kalevi Aho: Guitar Concerto; Quintet for Horn; Contrapunctus XIV
2024
Sebastian Fagerlund: Drifts, Stonework & Guitar Concerto "Transit"
2018
Part: Fratres - Vasks: the Sonata of Loneliness - Takemitsu: In the Woods
2000
Singles
