Otto Kentala

Otto Kentala (b. 1996) was eight when he began taking guitar lessons with Hannu Annala at the Central Ostrobothnian Conservatory and later went on to graduate from the Sibelius Academy in 2021, having studied with Otto Tolonen, Ismo Eskelinen, Jukka Savijoki and Andrzej Wilkus. He has reaped success in many international competitions: the Tampere International Guitar Festival (2nd prize, 2018), the Szeged International Guitar Festival (finalist, 2020) and the Petrer Guitar Festival (4th prize, 2021). Appearances at home in Finland have included the Kaustinen Chamber Music Week (Young Artist of the Year, 2022), the Oulunsalo Soi chamber music festival, the Nagu Chamber Music Festival, the Iittala Music Festival, the Kumaus and Musica Nova Helsinki festivals and several mini-opera productions at the Finnish National Opera. Otto has had an active career as a soloist and a member of various chamber ensembles. He is interested in a variety of genres, among them folk and rhythm music. In addition to the major works for guitar, his repertoire takes in arrangements of his own. He has also given the first Finnish performance of a number of works and premiered new music for such combinations as guitar and electronics.