Petri Kumela, one of Finland’s most versatile and sought-after classical guitarists, is equally at home with period instruments as in working with contemporary composers. He is also one of the Finnish guitarists best known on the international scene, with a reputation for originality and versatility. Winner of the first prize in the international Scandinavian Guitar Festival and Stafford Classical Guitar Recital competitions, Petri Kumela has appeared outside Finland in many European countries, South America, the United States, Russia, Japan, India and Bhutan, at venues that have ranged from intimate domestic concerts to the Purcell Room in London’s Southbank Centre and the Kitara Hall in Sapporo. Besides playing solo concerts he is an active chamber musician and performs regularly as soloist with orchestras. An artist with a special commitment to contemporary music, Petri Kumela has premiered ten guitar concertos and countless other works both in Finland and abroad. The ten recordings released so far by Petri Kumela have all won high critical acclaim. The latest album ’Small Creatures’ was selected as the Recording of the Year by the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) and was awarded the recording industry ́s EMMA- prize (the finnish Grammy) for the Best Classical Album. Kumela has also made a number of recordings for the Finnish Broadcasting Company and other radio and television networks. www.petrikumela.com