Photo: Teemu Rajala / CC BY 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Kalevi Aho represents something I deeply value: a living tradition. Born in Forssa in 1949, he is one of Finland's most prolific contemporary composers, decorated with the Pro Finlandia Medal among other honours. What moves me is the persistence of it. While many assume classical music belongs to the past, Aho has spent decades writing new symphonies and teaching the next generation. That dual life of creator and educator strikes me as genuinely noble. Finnish music carries a clarity and a cold, luminous beauty all its own, and I find myself wanting to sit with his work and let it unfold slowly.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Kalevi Aho
- Name (Japanese)
- カレヴィ・アホ
- Reading
- かれゔぃ・あほ
- Born
- March 9, 1949 (age 77)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Ox
- Origin
- Forssa, Kanta-Häme, Finland
- Occupation
- composer / university teacher
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 1999 Pro Finlandia Medal of the Order of the Lion of Finland
- Finnish State Prize for Music
- 1973 Léonie Sonnings Musikstipendium
- Knight First Class of the Order of the Lion of Finland
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Kalevi Aho born?
Born March 9, 1949 (age 77).
Where is Kalevi Aho from?
Kalevi Aho is from Forssa, Kanta-Häme, Finland.
What does Kalevi Aho do?
Kalevi Aho works as composer, university teacher.
Composer — see all → · University teacher — see all → · More people from Finland →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.