Conductors

Senior Conductor

Major (Mus.) Pasi-Heikki Mikkola

Pasi-Heikki Mikkola (born 1965 in Hämeenlinna) took over as the chief of the Guards Band on 1 June 2015. He began his career in professional music as a flutist in the Armoured Band, after which he got his conductor’s degree in 1993 from the military conductor course arranged by the Military Music School and Sibelius Academy. His teachers were Professor Jorma Panula and Conductor Kalervo Kulmala.

Pasi-Heikki Mikkola has served as a conductor and chief of the Satakunta Military Band (Niinisalo) 1993–1998, Savo Military Band (Mikkeli) 1998–2009, Armoured Band (Hämeenlinna) 2009–2013 and Navy Band (Turku) 2013–2015. In addition to this, he has conducted the symphony orchestras of many cities, including Mikkeli, Kuopio and Hämeenlinna, and served as the conductor for the Mikkeli Theatre.

Mikkola is a productive composer and arranger. He has produced music for a variety of ensembles, such as wind orchestras, big bands and symphony orchestras.

Major (Mus.) Tomi Väisänen

Tomi Väisänen began studying music according to the Kodály method already as a child in Lahti. Around the same time, he also began studying piano at the Päijät-Häme conservatory. He later continued his music studies in the Navy Band in Turku, where the oboe became his main instrument. After completing his studies, he was posted as first oboe player in the Pohja Military Band in Oulu and took part in the Defence Force's military band championships where he placed first three times consecutively.

Tomi Väisänen has studied choral leadership and was choral leader of the Kajaani male choir for eight years. He has made arrangements for choirs, wind orchestras and Big Bands. Väisänen graduated as conductor from the Military Music School and the Sibelius Academy's military conductor course. Tomi Väisänen has worked as chief and conductor of the Kainuu Military Band, Lapland Military Band and the Air Force Band.

Major (Mus.) Tomi Väisänen continued his music studies majoring in wind orchestra conducting and graduated from the Sibelius Academy with a master's degree in music.