Performers 2026
Laura Mikkola
Artistic Director, Piano
Pianist Laura Mikkola founded the Iitti Music Festival in 2003 and has been the festival's Artistic Director ever since.
Mikkola, who lives in Paris, performs extensively in Europe and beyond. She is particularly known as a profound connoisseur and interpreter of Eino-Juhani Rautavaara. She has recorded all of Rautavaara's piano concertos and solo piano works, as well as works composed for solo piano by Einar Englund.
Having won numerous piano competitions at the age of under 20, Mikkola has worked with the most renowned conductors, such as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Hannu Linnu, Leif Segerstam, Paavo Järvi, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Ahmed El-Saed. In 2024, Laura Mikkola was elected a Steinway Artist in Hamburg, Germany. The title is given to the best pianists of their era.
This summer Mikkola will perform at the Verla Factory Museum with Pepe Willberg on June 11, at Iitti Church at the opening concert on June 12, children's concert on June 13 and Saturday concert on June 14, as well as on the Saukonkallio stage on June 14.