Markku Lepistö is one of the most respected Finnish folk accordionists with over 40 years of music career. His skills on both diatonic and chromatic accordions are recognized worldwide.
Lepistö was born in Southern Ostrobothnia in 1963. The region is very well known for the rich folk music tradition and Markku started to play button accordion by ear at the age of five. He started his actual music studies first at the Seinäjoki Music School and then later the professional music studies at the Sibelius Academy which is nowadays known as University of the Arts Helsinki. Lepistö has graduated as the Master of Music in 1990 and as the Doctor of Music in 2016.
Some highlights
- Doctor of Music degree 2016 Doctoral Thesis: “Markkinarenkuttimesta Martin Pauliin” (The History of the Accordion in Finland 1850–1900)
- Master of Music degree 1990 Master Thesis: Tauno Aho ja soittotyyli polkan soitossa (The style of traditional polka music by master player Tauno Aho)
Six solo albums:
- Lakeuden kutsu (2021)
- SOLOS (2018)
- New Voices (2016)
- Tupasoitto | Parlour Sessions (2009)
- Polku | The Path (2006)
- Silta | The Bridge (2002)
- Four sheet music books of traditional Finnish accordion music
- Over 30 albums with top Finnish music groups and artists
- Contemporary folk music composer and arranger from the 1980′
Current ensembles (selection):
- Sampo Lassila Narinkka
- Markku Lepistö & Ilpo Laspas (Accordion & Piano/Harpsichord)
- Samurai Accordion (With Kepa Junkera, Riccardo Tesi, David Munnelly and Simone Bottasso)
- Markku Lepistö & Pekka Lehti (Accordion & Upright Bass)
- Markku Lepistö & Mikko Helenius (Accordion & Pipe Organ)
- Markku Lepistö & Petri Hakala (Accordion & Mandolin)
- Doina Klezmer (The first Finnish Klezmer ensemble)
Markku Lepistö è uno dei più stimati fisarmonicisti folk finlandesi e vanta più di trenta anni di carriera musicale. Le sue capacità, sia con la fisarmonica cromatica che con quella diatonica o organetto, sono riconosciute a livello internazionale. Attualmente i principali progetti in cui Markku è impegnato sono: l’ensemble di successo “Samurai” formato da organettisti provenienti da vari paesi d’Europa, il duo basso e fisarmonica Lepistö & Lehti, il Markku Lepistö trio, la band Doina Klezmer e i suoi progetti solistici. Oltre che nei suoi album da solista è possibile ascoltare Markku in molti brani di importanti artisti finlandesi.
(Translation by Tania Arcieri)