Janne Mertanen Kaski Piano Works

The catalogue of Heino Kaski (1885 –1957) contains more than a hundred piano works, almost all of which are miniatures not exceeding four minutes. Kaski’s style is typically lyrical, melody-centric, and serene in character. With a few exceptions, his piano music has remained in obscurity. Pianist Janne Mertanen studied at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, where his teachers included Erik T. Tawaststjerna and Dmitri Baskirov. He then completed his studies with Lazar Berman at the Accademia Pianistica in Imola, Italy. Mertanen was selected as the Young Artist of the 1st Espoo International Piano Festival in May 1991. Mertanen’s first recording, Chopin Recital, was released in 1994 by Finlandia Records. Chopin Nocturnes vol. 1-2 won an award in the sixth International Record Competition Grand Prix Du Disque Frederic Chopin 2005 in Warsaw in October 2005. He is a Steinway Artist, and the Artistic Director of the Joensuu Music Festival.