Short introduction

Finnish saxophonist Pekka Siponen earned a Master of Music degree from the Sibelius Academy orchestral programme. He works as the principal saxophonist in the Finnish Navy Band. He also often performs with the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra.

Biography

Pekka Siponen began playing the saxophone in the Middle-Carelia Music School in 1994. In 2005, he graduated from the Lahti Polytechnic faculty of music. He also studied the saxophone at the Noord-Nederlands Conservatorium in 2002. Siponen graduated with the highest grades from the Sibelius Academy in 2008. He was taught during his studies by Markku Ollikainen, Kimmo Kokkonen, Hannu Lehtonen, Peter Stam and Pekka Savijoki. Siponen has also studied singing with Sirkka Parviainen, and orchestral conducting with Paul Niemistö, Olli Vartiainen, Juha Salmela and Hannu Lehtonen.

Siponen has taught saxophone at the music schools of Heinola and Lahti, and the Lahti and Turku Conservatories. He currently works as the principal saxophonist in the Finnish Navy Band. He has performed as a soloist with many Finnish wind orchestras. In 2000 he was awarded the first prize and in 2003 the second prize in the saxophone A-series in the Finnish National Wind Instrument Competition.

photographer Valentin Abramenkov