Ilkka Kuusisto

Ilkka Taneli Kuusisto (26 April 1933 – 20 February 2025) was a Finnish opera composer, conductor, choirmaster, and organist. He began his career as a church organist, worked for the broadcaster Yle and as artistic director of the publisher Musiikki-Fazer. He was choirmaster of the Finnish National Opera chorus and the Radio Symphony Chorus, and was general manager of the opera from 1984 and 1992. He was one of Finland's most prolific composers of operas, beginning in 1974 with an opera about the Moomins characters, in collaboration with their creator Tove Jansson as librettist and costume designer.

Early life and education Kuusisto was born in Helsinki on 26 April 1933, the son of the composer and music educator Taneli Kuusisto. He also led several other choirs, the Etelä-Suomalaisen Osakunnan laulajista (South-Finnish Singers) from 1959 to 1971, the Akateemiseen lauluun (Academic Singers) from 1962 to 1966, and the Finnish National Opera choir from 1963 to 1965.

Kuusisto also worked for the Finnish public broadcaster Yle as deputy director in the music department from 1960 to 1963.

Works Kuusisto's compositions covers a broad range of genres, including opera, stage and film music, jazz and choral works. His Symphony No. 1 was recorded in 2010, combined with the Concertino improvvisando for violin and small orchestra and the cantata Kun talo alkaa soida, with his son Pekka Kuusisto and baritone Jorma Hynninen as soloists and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, conducted by his son Jaakko Kuusisto. The composer said that he composed the symphony in "a state of summer enchantment".

Orchestral Symphony No. 1 (1998) Concertino improvvisando for violin & small orchestra (2006)

Vocal Kun talo alkaa soida (When the House Begins to Resound) for baritone & orchestra (1992)

Opera Muumiooppera (1974) Miehen kylkiluu (1977) Sota valosta (1980) Jääkäri Ståhl (1981) Pierrot ja yön salaisuudet (1991) Postineiti (1992) Neiti Julie (1994) Gabriel, tule takaisin! (1998) Isänmaan tyttäret (1998) Nainen kuin jäätynyt samppanja (1999) Kuninkaan sormus (2000) Pula! (2002) Matilda ja Nikolai (2003) Kotia kohti (2006) Vapauden vanki (2006) Taipaleenjoki (2009)

Screen Rakkaus alkaa aamuyöstä (1966)

Awards and honours In 1984, Kuusisto received the medal of the Order of the Lion of Finland. In 1992, he was awarded an honorary doctorate (Professori).