Biography
Pianist Joonas Ahonen, born April 9, 1984, in Kerava, Finland, quickly drew notice both at home and internationally through his commanding accounts of new music, whether appearing alone, with orchestra, or alongside other players. He has also explored Beethoven’s keyboard works on period instruments.
After training at Helsinki’s Sibelius Academy under Liisa Pohjola and Tuija Hakkila, Ahonen cultivated a strong affinity for living composers. That focus led him, in 2011, to join the forward-looking ensemble Klangforum Wien in Austria. He has since collaborated in recital and on disc with violinist Pekka Kuusisto, taken part in larger chamber projects, and performed at Ireland’s West Cork Chamber Music Festival. A guest appearance at Switzerland’s Davos Festival further broadened his profile.
His first recording, the 2015 CD Accord release Dream Lake, paired him with soprano Agata Zubel in songs by Lutoslawski and Andrzej Czajkowski; the album earned a major Polish industry prize. As soloist he has appeared with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Tapiola Sinfonietta, as well as with the experimental ensembles Avanti! and Ictus. Recital engagements have included the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, the Wiener Konzerthaus, and Buenos Aires’ Teatro Colón.
Ahonen moved to BIS in 2017, issuing discs devoted to Ligeti and Ives—the latter making him one of the few European pianists to commit those scores to disc. AllMusic named his recording of György Ligeti’s Piano Concerto one of the standout releases of 2017. Reviewing a live performance, The Irish Examiner observed that “the second book of Ligeti etudes, a set of small but epically conceived virtuosic works, was mind-blowing under Ahonen’s fingers.” Additional chamber releases have appeared on the Neos, Kairos, and Col Legno labels. Following a second Ives sonata recording in 2021, he joined violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja in 2022 for the Alpha album Le Monde selon George Antheil.
After training at Helsinki’s Sibelius Academy under Liisa Pohjola and Tuija Hakkila, Ahonen cultivated a strong affinity for living composers. That focus led him, in 2011, to join the forward-looking ensemble Klangforum Wien in Austria. He has since collaborated in recital and on disc with violinist Pekka Kuusisto, taken part in larger chamber projects, and performed at Ireland’s West Cork Chamber Music Festival. A guest appearance at Switzerland’s Davos Festival further broadened his profile.
His first recording, the 2015 CD Accord release Dream Lake, paired him with soprano Agata Zubel in songs by Lutoslawski and Andrzej Czajkowski; the album earned a major Polish industry prize. As soloist he has appeared with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Tapiola Sinfonietta, as well as with the experimental ensembles Avanti! and Ictus. Recital engagements have included the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, the Wiener Konzerthaus, and Buenos Aires’ Teatro Colón.
Ahonen moved to BIS in 2017, issuing discs devoted to Ligeti and Ives—the latter making him one of the few European pianists to commit those scores to disc. AllMusic named his recording of György Ligeti’s Piano Concerto one of the standout releases of 2017. Reviewing a live performance, The Irish Examiner observed that “the second book of Ligeti etudes, a set of small but epically conceived virtuosic works, was mind-blowing under Ahonen’s fingers.” Additional chamber releases have appeared on the Neos, Kairos, and Col Legno labels. Following a second Ives sonata recording in 2021, he joined violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja in 2022 for the Alpha album Le Monde selon George Antheil.
Albums
