Meriheini Luoto is a composer and performer working with violin, nyckelharpa and voice, whose music explores the boundary between improvisation and composition. Guided by intuition and a spirit of play, she creates immersive, unpredictable sound worlds that reveal new dimensions within both the instruments and the musicians. Her work is often inspired by elements beyond music — particularly phenomena connected to nature and human nature. With an adventurous mind and deep knowledge of the Scandinavian folk tradition, she creates soundscapes that feel both ancient and new at the same time.

In 2017 Meriheini released her debut album Metsänpeitto (lit. covered by forest) which was critically acclaimed and nominated for the Teosto Prize (one of the most noteworthy art prizes in the Nordic countries). A sequel to the debut album, Metsänpeitto 2 was released in September 2019.  

Talven uneen vaipuen is Luoto's latest project, which will culminate in an album to be released in autumn 2025, featuring Saxtronauts, Awake Percussion, Signe & Luoto luonnos.  Recently, she has also composed music for the Finnish National Theatre's Prima Facie and commissioned works for several ensembles & orchestras (Suut, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, The Guards Band, Finnish Radio Symphony Orhestra’s violin section, Kaaos Ensemble). Her music has been performed at the leading contemporary music festivals in Finland, such as Musica nova, Tampere Biennale & Uuden Musiikin Lokakuu.

Meriheini holds a M.Mus majoring in folk music from the prestigious Sibelius Academy. She’s been performing in Canada, USA, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden and Finland among others. She also plays in the band Akkajee along with a viola player Iida Savolainen. Her work has been supported by The Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Kone Foundation, Finnish Cultural Foundation & MES.

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”Most thrillingly, Finland's own Meriheini Luoto brought a spine-tingling intensity to frantic, frazzled, looped violin concoctions” All About Jazz, 2023, Flow Festival review

”Meriheini Luoto performs the violin drone of “ILO OLI ILO OLI ILO” to a seated audience and it feels like you’re in different era in time” The Line of Best Fit, 2023, Flow Festival review

 

"For those inclined towards more experimental musical endeavors, there's, among others, Meriheini Luoto, an avant-garde violinist who graced The Other Sound stage at Kattilahalli. She delivered a meditative moment on the festival’s opening day. Attendees sat in the dim expanse of the factory hall, seemingly entranced by the composer’s improvisations – at times using her violin and at others, her voice – in a rhythm that alternated between intensifying and fading, occasionally disrupted by an almost surreal, throbbing resonance. The backdrop of visuals, resembling bursts of soap bubbles, played a significant role in enhancing the overall impact"   FMQ, 2023, Flow Festival review

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