Olli Kortekangas studied music theory and composition at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki from 1974-1981 under the direction of Einojuhani Rautavaara and Eero Hämeenniemi. He continued his studies in West Berlin with Dieter Schnebel in 1981-1982. Subsequently Kortekangas has worked as a teacher, including periods at the National Theatre Academy and the Sibelius Academy, and has taken part in several educational projects with children and young adults, both in Finland and abroad.
He has been a member of the Board of the Association of Finnish Composers (1984-1994), and was on the Board of the Finnish Composers’ Copyright Society (TEOSTO) from 1989-1995.
Kortekangas has received commissions from several European countries as well as USA, Canada, Australia, and Japan. He has been granted numerous scholarships and awards, including the Special Prize of the Prix Italia Competition and the City of Salzburg Opera Prize, the Medal of the City of Espoo, and the prestigious Teosto Prize.
Kortekangas’ oeuvre consists of about 120 works from solo pieces and chamber music to orchestral works and operas. Since his early days as a choral singer, Kortekangas has been attracted to the human voice, but in recent years he has also written several large-scale instrumental works. Throughout his career, Kortekangas has been interested in collaboration with other arts and artists. |