Pekka Pentikäinen, accordionist, composer and accordion teacher, has a master´s degree in music from The Sibelius Music Academy. He recently finished an EU sponsored project called The Village Musician. His job included performing, teaching, and conducting music workshops thereby increasing awareness of folk music as well as developing and initiating involvement in folk music. He performs with various music groups representing the diverse styles of music in Finland, Europe, The USA, Canada and Australia. Currently Pekka Pentikäinen works with violinists Kukka Lehto (Finland), Perttu Paappanen (Finland), Ruthie Dornfield (USA), Mary Ann Sereth (USA), Chris Duncan (Australia) and pianist Catherine Strutt (Australia).

Pekka is responsible for the artistic level in the orchestra Espoon Pelimannit (http://www.ekamuki.fi/spelmanslag/eng.shtml). The group participated in Finnish folk music championship for bands in 2005 and 2007. In both years the orchestra was voted as the winner. The band has contributed to several recordings during its 30 years of existence but its first own CD “May I have the pleasure?  - was released in 2005.

In 2005 the The Finnish Folk Music Association awarded Pekka a silver medal for his exceptional contributions to Finnish folk music.

Perttu Paappanen has been working as a theatre musician in different kinds of productions, as a solo artist and as a folk music teacher in workshops, which have been scattered widely in Finland and in other countries. He has been playing in severals bands besides Koinurit, which performed in many countries. It won the 1st prize in a competition for folk music bands in Finland 1990 and 1991. Perttu’s current band is Progmatics which has released one album: Lethal cowbell.

Besides of playing fiddle and accordions he works also in his own company Trad & Tune which imports, repairs, and tunes accordions.