CURRICULUM VITAE

Patrik Kleemola (b.1981) is one of the most prominent Finnish guitarists to emerge in the recent years. After winning the II Guitaristival “Takemitsu” International Guitar Competition in Finland 2004 and gaining prizes in other competitions such as Gargnano´s International Guitar Competition, his concert career has taken him to Buenos Aires, Rome, Milan, Athens, Turin, Tallinn, Helsinki and other cities in South America and Europe.

He has appeared as soloist on important music festivals such as Bergamo Festival Internazionale della Cultura (Italy), Turku Music Festival (Finland), Tallinn Guitar Festival (Estonia), Nuovi Spazi Musicali (Italy), 5 Ciclo di Musica Contemporanea (Argentina), Feria del Libro (Uruguay) and Lidköping Music Festival (Sweden).

Kleemola has performed guitar concertos by Rodrigo, Takemitsu, Giuliani and Maggio with Orquesta Sinfonica de la Juventud Venezuelana El Sistema, Orchestra I Pomeriggi Musicali, San Remo Symphony Orchestra, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra and Lecce Symphony Orchestra. Kleemola has performed chamber music with artists like Topi Lehtipuu, Se ensemble, Bobby Chen, Martin Fogel and Susanna Andersson.

Kleemola´s wide repertoire includes music from the early Italian 16th century to the newest comtemporary compositions written for him. Kleemola´s intense collaboration with composers has led to over 30 premieres of contemporary works for guitar. Composers like Mario Cesa, Ada Gentile, Markku Klami, Juha T. Koskinen, Francesco Maggio, Günay Mirzayeva, Kai Nieminen, Marcela Pavia, Mauro Porro, Biagio Putignano ja Andrea Talmelli have composed and dedicated their works to him. Kleemola first CD Perchitarrasola was released in 2012 and has received excellent reviews.

In addition to Kleemola´s performing career he teaches the guitar in Turku Music Institute and Turku Music Academy. Kleemola has given masterclasses in Argentina, Italia, Estonia and Finland. Kleemola is also the Artistic Director of the Brinkhall Summer Concerts (chamber music festival held annually in Turku, Finland) and the President of the Turku Guitar Association.

Kleemola studied the guitar in Turku Music Academy with Timo Korhonen and Ismo Eskelinen, with Oscar Ghiglia at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena gaining three times Diploma di Merito, and finished his studies and soloist diploma with maximum points in Monopoli Conservatory with Massimo Felici.

Kleemola´s instrument is by English guitar maker Brian Cohen (2003).