Lauri Kankkunen (b. 1990) started playing the cello at the age of 5. He currently works as the 2nd solo cellist of Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and as the co-principal of Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra. Kankkunen won the III Price in Turku National Cello Competition in February 2014.
Kankkunen is a keen chamber musician and has played with e.g. Nobuko Imai, Christel Lee and Lars Anders Tomter. As a soloist he has played with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra and Lappeenranta Orchestra. He has appeared on for example Kuhmo Chamber Music, Helsinki Festival, Helsinki Chamber Music Festival, Iitti Music Festival and Santander Music Festival.
Lauri Kankkunen studied with prof. Martti Rousi at Sibelius-Academy and with prof. Truls Mørk at Norwegian Academy of Music.
He plays on a C.A. Gand –cello (1854).