Juuso Nieminen, guitarist

Juuso Nieminen (b. 1979) began studying guitar at the Vantaa Music Institute as a pupil of Timo Suominen in 1989. He proceeded to Turku Music Academy, studying with Timo Korhonen and Ismo Eskelinen 1998–2001. Since 2001, he has studied at the Sibelius Academy with Jukka Savijoki and Jyrki Myllärinen. He has supplemented his studies in masterclasses of David Russell, Marco Socias, Eduardo Fernandez, Zoran Dukic and Alvaro Pierr.

Since 1998, Juuso Nieminen has regularly participated in competitions and has been awarded top prizes in several international guitar competitions. He recently won the first prize at the Alhambra VIII International Guitar Contest in Valencia, Spain. In 2005, he took the first prize in Heinsberg, Germany and in 2004, in Crete, Greece. In 2003, he was awarded the second prize in the highly esteemed “Michele Pittaluga” competition in Alessandria, Italy.

His future engagements include, among others, solo recitals in Germany and the Czech Republic. In 2005, he played at the “Luigi Legnani” Festival in Italy and at the Arhanes Festival in Crete. In the Ukraine, he gave a recital concert and debuted as a soloist of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine. His programme included the famous Aranjuez Concerto by J. Rodrigo.

His previous performances include a concert in “International guitar masters series” in Miami, USA in 2003, concerts as a soloist of Filharmonia das Beiras in Porto and at the guitar festival in Sernancelhe in 2002 and a recital concert at the Trofa International Guitar Festival in 2001.

The record company Terravox released his first solo album “Juuso Nieminen plays Ponce & Rodrigo” in 2005 and the second in November 2006 "Guitar Recital - Juuso Nieminen". Since 2003, Nieminen has also played guitar in a group called Novjaro. Their repertoire concentrates on Astor Piazzolla’s music.

Heinsberg competition 2005, Krzysztof Pelech, member of jury:"Nieminen played Ponce's Third Sonata splendidly and gave a first rate performance of Britten's Nocturnal. Powerful, fruity sound, impeccable technique and easiness of the crafted passages was impressive, and charged the audience with positive energy."

PAST:

Turku Music Festival: Recital; Händel, Bergman, Britten, Paganini