Brent Cassidy – Producer
October 11, 2025
Osmo Hakosalo is a folk musician, music pedagogue and a producer from Oulu, Finland, whose work blends tradition, community and experimentation.
He is a versatile violinist, singer, and player of the accordion and harmonium, known especially for enlivening dance music and leading participatory music workshops.
Osmo Hakosalo is active both as a performer and educator. He has been involved in several ensembles, including Rällä, Entiset Pojat, Uncle Ruby, and Spelarit, where folk music takes on new forms and gains broader visibility. His work spans recordings, live performances, and community art projects, where music serves as a tool for connection and well-being.
As a music pedagogue, Hakosalo has developed participatory and embodied teaching methods suitable for both professionals and enthusiasts. He has played a key role in the KanTaMus project, which has elevated the digital pedagogy of folk music and dance to a new level. In the project, Hakosalo serves as an expert in music pedagogy and as project coordinator, and his work has been central to building a new, communal learning model. In workshops and concerts, music is not just a performance but a shared experience in which everyone can participate.
Hakosalo also works with experimental kantele music in the hakosalo_tuohino duo with Jussi Tuohino. Their collaboration merges ancient northern instrumental traditions with modern electronic music technology. The acoustic sound of the kantele serves as the sole sound source, from which immersive soundscapes are created using live electronics.
Osmo brings deep insight into traditional kantele improvisation and instrumental expression, while Tuohino expands the sound through digital tools. Together, they create performances where music is not pre-composed but arises intuitively, openly, and interactively in the moment.
The duo’s performances have been featured at international festivals such as Gothenburg Fringe and Sommelo, representing a new approach to the kantele: not merely an echo of history, but a medium for the sound art of the future.
