Janne Mertanen Biography Pianist Janne Mertanen has become known particularly as a Chopin interpreter. His repertoire does indeed cover the composer´s piano music more or less comprehensively. He studied at the Joensuu Institute of Music from 1982 to 1986 under Matti Haapasalo and at master classes led by Bruno Rigutto and in Zürich by Verena Pfenninger. From 1986 to 1992 he studied at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, where his teachers included Erik T. Tawastjerna and Dmitri Baskirov. He then completed his studies from 1993 to 1995 with Lazar Berman at the Accademia Pianistica in Imola, Italy.
Mertanen came to the attention of the wider musical public in 1992 with a win at the International Chopin Competition in Darmstadt, Germany. In the same year he also triumphed in the Nyborg Nordic Competition. He has appeared as a soloist with most of the Finnish orchestras, and he has also had engagements with German and Scandinavian orchestras. Recital appearances have taken him around Europe and to Japan, including recitals in Tokyo´s Casals Hall during the 1991-1992 season. He made his debut at Wigmore Hall in London in October 1994 with a program of works by Chopin. In March 2010 he made his South American debut as the soloist in the Schumann
Piano Concerto with the Orchestra of the National Theater of Brazil conducted by Ira Levine. In recent years Mertanen has also performed in Australia, Canada and the United States.
Janne Mertanen was selected as the Young Artist of the 1st Espoo International Piano Festival in May 1991. He has recorded music of Chopin, Beethoven, Glinka, Satie and Kokkonen. His first recording,
Chopin Recital, was released in 1994 on Finlandia Records. Since 1998 he has recorded eight albums on Alba Records, two of which,
Chopin Nocturnes, Volumes 1 and 2, were given awards in the 6th International Record Competition
Grand Prix Du Disque Frédérick Chopin in Warsaw in October 2005. His other albums include
Chopin Piano Concertos, Jean Sibelius: Piano works, Nino Rota Piano Concertos, and
Grand Chopin: Works for Piano and Orchestra . 
