Otto Koistinen

Otto Koistinen (born 1925) is a Finnish kantele maker who specializes in building acoustic kanteles and Estonian kannel. He started to make his first kanteles in 1957 while he was working as a pilot on Pielinen Lake in North Karelia. As the first instrument was completed during winter 1957, Koistinen found out a number of lacks in construction and sound and thus lifetime development of Finnish and later Estonian chromatic kanteles was initiated. The influence of the family has always had an important role in this process. Otto’s daughter, Ritva Koistinen, started to play kantele at early age showing high level of talent and thus brought motivation for her father’s work. Otto's son Hannu Koistinen started to build kanteles with his father at the age of seven and later continued to develop the instrument and preserve family tradition by establishing Koistinen Kantele company.

In addition to Otto Koistinen's own remarkable impact in kantele development he also influenced and educated the new generation of kantele builders. His instruments are well known for their unique rich sound that has less vibrating nature than traditional models and covers all the dynamical range of kantele.

During more than 50 years of work Otto Koistinen has been awarded by several prestigious awards such as Finnish State Industrial Art Prize in 1976, Kaustinen Folk Music Festival Plaketti as a first music instrument builder in 1985 (same year he won 5-string kantele building competition run by the Kaustinen Folk music festival), golden kantele mark of Kantele association of Finland in 2003. In 2005 Estonian ministry of culture awarded him for his remarkable work in development new high quality in Estonian chromatic kanteles.

In 2010 Otto Koistinen received the Master Kantele Builder Honorary title from The Finnish Guild of Masters Craftsmen.

In the past years Otto Koistinen has devoted most of his time to building chromatic kanteles based on Estonian tradition. Among the players who have played his instruments are Kristi Mühling, Hedi Viisma, Anna-Liisa Eller, Ella Maidre and others.