Paavali Jumppanen likes to indulge in the performance of large-scale works. One of the most active and internationally successful Finnish pianists of his generation, he effortlessly glides from Bach’s Die Kunst der Fuge to Schoenberg’s Piano Concerto and from Brahms’ concertos to Beethoven’s sonatas. He has performed with many famous conductors, including David Robertson, Sakari Oramo, Susanna Mälkki, Osmo Vänskä and Jaap van Zweden. A lover of avant-garde music, Jumppanen has collaborated with many composers of our time. Working with Pierre Boulez, William Duckworth, Henri Dutilleux, Perttu Haapanen and Lauri Kilpiö has given Jumppanen a rich perspective on the ever-changing nature of music.
His studies took him via the Sibelius Academy to Switzerland, where he worked for three years with Krystian Zimerman. At the Basel Academy of Music, he studied not only piano but also fortepiano, piano chord and organ – Jumppanen now also performs as an organist. Russian pianist Konstantin Bogino has been an important mentor for Jumppanen throughout his career.
In 2011–2012, Jumppanen spent the academic year as a visiting scholar at Harvard University’s Department of Musicology in the United States, focusing in particular on the many dimensions of Viennese Classicism. He has performed both Beethoven’s and Mozart’s piano sonatas in several highly acclaimed concert series in Finland and the United States. Jumppanen is the first Finnish pianist to have recorded Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas.
In addition to his international career as a soloist, Jumppanen is a popular teacher and has been a visiting professor at the Sibelius Academy. He is the artistic director of the international PianoEspoo festival and chairman of the artistic committee of the multi-artistic Väylä festival in the North Calotte region. In 2021–2023, he will serve a three-year term as Artistic Director of the Australian National Academy in Melbourne. In addition to his many record awards, Paavali Jumppanen has received the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Fund’s Recognition Award for his work for Finnish cultural life.
