Kantele player Arja Kastinen (b. 1963) has led a busy performing career in Finland for close to 30 years, and has also given concerts in Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Germany, Italy, Belgium, France, Ireland, Serbia, the USA, Canada, Russia, Vietnam and Brazil. In 2000 she was the first Finnish folk musician to complete the Doctor of Music degree at Helsinki’s Sibelius Academy, inspired by and focusing on the ancient kantele improvisation tradition from Karelia. Arja Kastinen can he heard on over twenty-five CDs, including several solo recordings, and has published numerous articles and books on various aspects of kantele playing. http://www.temps.fi/en/arja-kastinen/
