Joonatan Rautiola

Joonatan Rautiola is a saxophonist, singer, and interdisciplinary artist. His collaborations with a diverse range of artists have given rise to performances that seamlessly meld written music, improvisation, and music theatre.

As a soloist with orchestra, Joonatan Rautiola has performed with esteemed conductors such as Mikko Franck, Michael Sanderling and Dalia Stasevska. He has performed at the Lucerne Festival, the Salle Pleyel and Carnegie Hall in New York. His close collaborations with composers have led to the premieres of numerous new works, including saxophone concertos composed by Guillaume Connesson, Tapio Tuomela, and Olli Virtaperko.

Joonatan Rautiola is not only an accomplished artist but also a dedicated educator. He champions a holistic pedagogical approach and currently serves as a Lecturer in Saxophone Music at the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki. In this role, he leads an international saxophone studio, nurturing the talents of aspiring musicians. Rautiola is a saxophone alumnus of the Paris Conservatoire and the Sibelius Academy and holds a degree in classical voice and vocal pedagogy from Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Helsinki. He is a laureate of the Aeolus, Nova Gorica and Adolphe Sax international competitions.

In 2024, Joonatan Rautiola is the recipient of a Finnish state grant for artistic activities, which fills his calendar with collaborations and debut performances featuring piano, accordion, lute, and contrabass at venues throughout the country.