Perttu Kivilaakso

Perttu Kivilaakso

Kivilaakso at the 2009 Ilosaarirock festival in Joensuu, Finland
Background information
Birth name Perttu Päivö Kullervo Kivilaakso
Born (1978-05-11) 11 May 1978
Origin Helsinki, Finland
Genres Cello metal, symphonic metal
Occupation(s) Musician, Composer
Instruments Cello
Perttu Kivilaakso performing with Apocalyptica at the Ilosaarirock, 2009

Perttu Päivö Kullervo Kivilaakso (born 11 May 1978 in Helsinki, Finland) is a cello player for Finnish band Apocalyptica.[1] Like fellow band members Eicca Toppinen and Paavo Lötjönen, he attended Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.[2][3][3] He plays a German 19th century cello; he started playing the cello when he was 5 years old[4] and joined Apocalyptica for their third studio album Cult.[5] Kivilaakso played in Apocalyptica's 1995 line up, but he was concentrating on his studies when the band began their professional career. At the end of 1999 he came back,[5] switching places with Antero Manninen, who then went to play in a classical orchestra.

Biography

Kivilaakso has received many prizes and awards during his life as a classical cellist. Among them is winning third place in the world-renowned second International Paulo Cello Competition in 1996 at age 18.[6] Shortly afterward, he attained a lifetime chair in the Helsinki Philharmonic orchestra,[5] where his father, Juhani,[7] is also a cellist. He was on indefinite leave while touring with Apocalyptica, but in 2007, made the decision to leave the Helsinki Philharmonic and concentrate on achieving international fame for Apocalyptica.

Kivilaakso has also composed music for the video game Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, a few documentary films, as well as many original compositions for Apocalyptica, including "Conclusion,"[8] "Farewell"[9] and "Beautiful."[10]

Kivilaakso is an opera buff, which began while attending performances as a very young child at the annual Savonlinna Opera Festival.[3][11] His father would play in the orchestra, and young Kivilaakso was entranced by both the music and the performances. Kivilaakso was three when he first asked his mother what he had to do to get onstage.[12] He has a huge collection of opera recordings, including many rare and hard-to-find ones. His favourite composer is Italian Giuseppe Verdi, and his favourite opera is Il Trovatore.

His first opera, composed with his Apocalyptica bandmate Eicca Toppinen, was premiered at the Finnish National Opera on 22 January 2016. The opera, entitled "Indigo," tells "a story of an omnipotent, multinational company and a search for happiness."[13][14]

References

  1. ↑ Ankeny, Jason. "Biography: Apocalyptica". Allmusic. Retrieved 12 June 2010.
  2. ↑ Interview with Mikko and Eicca for FaceCulture.nl 2007 http://apocalyptica.apocello.ru/press/faceculture-mikko-eicca-2007-en.php
  3. 1 2 3 http://www.facesofscandinavia.com
  4. ↑ youtube interactive interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFesTOwz36g&feature=channel
  5. 1 2 3 Archived 6 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ↑ Archived 6 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine.
  7. ↑ http://www.hel.fi/wps/portal/Kaupunginorkesteri_en/Artikkeli?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/HKO/en/Musicians/Juhani+Kivilaakso
  8. ↑ Reflections CD booklet
  9. ↑ Apocalyptica CD booklet
  10. ↑ 7th Symphony CD booklet
  11. ↑ Home, The Documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt_UtdpZm80
  12. ↑ Life Burns DVD
  13. ↑ "New works commissioned by The Finnish National Opera and the Finnish National Ballet". Music Finland. 17 November 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  14. ↑ "APOCALYPTICA's PERTTU KIVILAAKSO And EICCA TOPPINEN Create 'Indigo' Opera". Blabbermouth.net. 13 November 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
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