Perttu Kivilaakso

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Perttu Kivilaakso

Background information
Born May 11, 1978 (1978-05-11) (age 30)
Origin Helsinki, Finland
Genre(s) Cello metal
Symphonic metal
Occupation(s) Musician
Instrument(s) Cello

Perttu Paivo Kullervo Kivilaakso is a cello player for Finnish band Apocalyptica. Like fellow band members Eicca Toppinen and Paavo Lötjönen he attended Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. He plays a German 19th century cello; he started playing the cello when he was 5 years old and joined Apocalyptica for their third studio album Cult. Kivilaakso played in Apocalyptica's 1995 line up, but he was concentrating on his studies when the band began their professional career. At the end of 1999 he came back, switching places with Antero Manninen, who then went to play in a classical orchestra.

He mainly plays a "Luis and Clark" carbon fibre cello (www.luisandclark.com) made in 2004, and a German 19:th century cello, by him nicknamed "Der Herzbrecher".

Kivilaakso has received many prizes and awards during his life as a classical cellist- among them is winning third place in the world-renowned second International Paulo Cello Competition in 1996 when he was just 18. Shortly afterward, he attained a lifetime chair in the Helsinki Philharmonic orchestra, where his father, Juhani, is also a cellist. He has been on indefinite leave while touring with Apocalyptica.

Kivilaakso has also composed music for the video game Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, few documentary films as well as many original compositions for Apocalyptica, including "Conclusion," "Betrayal/Forgiveness" and "Farewell."

Apocalyptica
Current Members: Eicca Toppinen | Paavo Lötjönen | Perttu Kivilaakso | Mikko Sirén
Former Members: Antero Manninen | Max Lilja
Discography
Studio Albums: Plays Metallica by Four Cellos | Inquisition Symphony | Cult | Reflections | Apocalyptica | Worlds Collide
Singles: Apocalyptica | Harmageddon | Path Vol.2 | Hope Vol.2 | Faraway Vol.2 | Seemann | Bittersweet | Wie weit/How far/En Vie | Life Burns! | Repressed | I'm Not Jesus | S.O.S. (Anything But Love)
Compilations: Best of Apocalyptica | Amplified - A Decade of Reinventing the Cello
DVDs: Live | Reflections Revised | The Life Burns Tour