Docente

In his hometown of Helsinki, Janne Saksala began studying double bass at the age of 14 with Jiri Parviainen, having previously received piano and violin lessons. He then had his first experiences as an electric bassist in various bands before discovering orchestral double bass while playing in his music school’s chamber orchestra.

After graduating from high school in 1986, he moved to Berlin to study double bass at the Hochschule der Künste with Klaus Stoll. He also found influential mentors in Duncan McTier, František Pošta, and Ilan Gronich. In 1991, he was awarded a prize at the ARD International Music Competition in Munich. Two years later, he joined the Berliner Philharmoniker, where he has held the position of Principal Solo Double Bassist since 2008.

His dynamic career as a soloist and chamber musician has led him to collaborate with artists such as Pekka Kuusisto, Tabea Zimmermann, Olli Mustonen, Isabelle Faust, Leonidas Kavakos, Guy Braunstein, and Leif Ove Andsnes. He has performed regularly with the Stradivari Soloists of the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Berlin Philharmonic Jazz Group, and the Ensemble Oriol. In 2023, he recorded a CD for EMC with the WuWei Trio, an ensemble featuring sheng, viola, and double bass.

Janne Saksala is deeply passionate about mentoring the next generation of double bassists. In 2023, he was appointed professor of double bass at the University of the Arts in Berlin, a position he shares with Burak Marlali. Previously, he held a guest professorship at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin. He regularly teaches as a guest lecturer at numerous institutions across Europe, America, and Asia and has been a faculty member at the Carl Flesch Academy in Baden-Baden since 2005.

Beyond his performing and teaching career, Janne Saksala is also interested in composition. His first piece, Rituaali, was written for cello and double bass.

In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family and cooking. Photography has been a recurring passion of his since the age of twelve.