Janne Mertanen

Pianist Janne Mertanen earned recognition primarily for his command of Chopin, yet he has also explored a broad spectrum of repertoire, with a pronounced emphasis on Scandinavian composers. His discography includes releases on both the Alba and Sony Classical imprints.

Born August 28, 1967, in Joensuu, eastern Finland, Mertanen has maintained enduring connections to his birthplace, where he serves as artistic director of the Joensuu Music Festival. Between 1982 and 1986 he studied at the Joensuu Institute of Music, his principal instructor being Matti Haapasalo; during this period he also participated in master classes, among them a session in Zurich with Verena Pfenninger. From 1986 to 1992 he continued his training at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki under Erik T. Tawaststjerna and Dmitri Bashkirov. He completed his studies from 1993 to 1995 at the Accademia Pianistica in Imola, Italy, working with Lazar Berman.

A decisive early success came with his victory at the International Chopin Competition in Darmstadt, Germany, after which his interpretations of Chopin’s music became especially prominent; he likewise captured first prize at the Nyborg Nordic Competition. Mertanen’s first recording appeared in 1994 on Finlandia Records under the title Chopin Recital and was later reissued by Fazer in 2011. Beginning in 1998 he recorded extensively for Alba, issuing a 2001 collection devoted to the piano works of Joonas Kokkonen.

He has collaborated with Finland’s leading orchestras and has appeared as concerto soloist with ensembles in Germany and elsewhere in Scandinavia. In 2010 Mertanen performed Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54, with the Orchestra of the National Theater of Brazil. As a recitalist he has performed at Casals Hall in Tokyo during the 1991–1992 season, made his Wigmore Hall debut in London in 1994, and toured throughout Australia, the United States, and Canada. Through the late 2010s he continued to record for Alba, featuring both contemporary Finnish works and music from the Romantic era, including further Chopin releases. In 2023 he joined the Sony Classical roster with the album Chopin.