Arto Noras

Arto Noras is a contemporary giant of cello art. After studies under Yrjö Selin at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and Paul Tortelier in Paris, his success at the 1966 Moscow Tchaikovsky Competition marked the start of a notable international career.

Arto Noras has been the soloist with most of the leading orchestras and conductors around the world and an active chamber musician. His repertoire covers virtually the entire cello literature. His extensive discography includes several works dedicated to him and his recording partners have been such distinguished figures as Krzysztof Penderecki and Aulis Sallinen. His career as a professor at the Sibelius Academy, his masterclasses given all over the world and his work on the juries of international cello competitions have influenced the development of cello art both in Finland and globally.

Apart from the International Paulo Cello Competition, of which he is Artistic Director, Noras has founded the Naantali Music Festival and was its Artistic Director from 1980 to 2022. He has both commissioned and premiered several works performed at the Festival.