Finnish saxophonist and singer Joonatan Rautiola enjoys a varied career as a soloist, chamber musician and educator. His artistic work embraces music from different centuries and traditions, ranging from early music to contemporary creation, and often extends beyond the boundaries of instrumental performance. He has a particular interest in artistic collaborations and projects that explore the expressive possibilities of his instruments.
As a soloist, Rautiola has performed with orchestras including the Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Tapiola Sinfonietta and Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra. His international appearances have taken him to Carnegie Hall in New York, the National Concert Hall in Dublin and concert stages in London, St. Petersburg and Tokyo.
Contemporary music is at the heart of Rautiola’s artistic work. He has premiered numerous solo, chamber and orchestral works by composers including Jukka Tiensuu, Yann Robin, Olli Virtaperko, Jovanka Trbojević, Tapio Tuomela, Josué Moreno and Antonin Servière.
Recent projects include Lauri Supponen’s chamber opera Euryead, in which Rautiola performs as both singer and saxophonist alongside harpsichordist Marianna Henriksson. Upcoming premieres include saxophone concertos by Minna Leinonen, with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Olli Virtaperko, with Avanti! Chamber Orchestra.
His artistic interests extend beyond conventional concert formats, encompassing collaborations with artists from contemporary dance, theatre, electronics and circus. Rautiola is a member of the Grammy Award-winning, Helsinki-based contemporary music collective Uusinta Ensemble and a founding member of the Aava Saxophone Quartet, and has performed in duo with pianist Marko Hilpo since 2002.
Rautiola studied saxophone at the Sibelius Academy with Pekka Savijoki and at the Conservatoire de Paris (CNSMDP) with Claude Delangle, becoming the first Nordic saxophonist to graduate from Delangle’s class in 2010. His education also included studies with Nicolas Prost, Christian Wirth and Daniel Gauthier, as well as chamber music studies with Paul Meyer, Éric Le Sage, Maurice Bourgue and Ilmo Ranta.
Alongside his instrumental studies, Rautiola pursued extensive training in classical singing and vocal pedagogy, earning a bachelor’s degree in vocal pedagogy in 2021. His voice teachers include Seppo Ruohonen, Juha Karvonen and Donatienne Michel-Dansac.
Rautiola has received prizes at several international competitions, including the Nordic Wind Soloists’ Competition in Oslo, the International Saxophone Competition in Nova Gorica, the International Aeolus Competition in Düsseldorf and the International Adolphe Sax Competition in Dinant. As a member of the Ellipsos Saxophone Quartet, he has also received distinctions at the FNAPEC International Chamber Music Competition in Paris and the International Chamber Music Competition in Illzach.
Teaching is an integral part of Rautiola’s artistic work. He has taught saxophone at the Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, since 2016 and at the Conservatoire de Paris (CNSMDP) since 2025. At the Sibelius Academy, he is also responsible for woodwind chamber music and artistic director of the SaxibA saxophone ensemble.
Rautiola’s teaching is rooted in musical interpretation and dialogue. He encourages students to develop their own artistic voices, embracing diverse perspectives and approaches to music. His pedagogy also draws on his background in chamber music and classical singing. He has given masterclasses across Europe and Japan.
Joonatan Rautiola is a Henri Selmer Paris and Vandoren artist.