Kari Antila
- Instruments : Guitar
- Date of birth : Finlande
Born in Laitila, Finland, and now based mainly in Belgium, Antila has become one of the most internationally recognized Finnish jazz guitarists of his generation. He tours actively worldwide both as a bandleader and sideman, performing across Europe, North and South America, and beyond.
Across five critically acclaimed albums, Antila has built a strong discography noted for its melodic clarity, compositional depth, and refined guitar voice. His latest album Dahill Road (2023) received rave reviews, with Belgian magazine Jazz & Mo’ writing:
“Guitarist Kari Antila knows the art of beautifully integrating his melodic and technically clever solos into lines that are accessible to everyone. This CD is a must for every guitar lover.”
Antila’s music has been featured at major international festivals and concert series including Pori Jazz, Gent Jazz, and the Belgian JazzLab Series.
Throughout his career, Antila has collaborated with a wide range of internationally renowned artists, including Will Vinson, Rick Margitza, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown, Peter Hertmans, Ivan Paduart, Sal La Rocca, Lionel Beuvens, Hans Van Oost, Jos Machtel, Bruno Castellucci, Alexi Tuomarila, Manuel Dunkel, Jukka Perko, and Frank Carlberg, among many others.
He has also worked extensively with New York–based musicians and performed in countries such as France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Estonia, Latvia, the UK, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and the USA, appearing in leading clubs and concert halls, including Paris’ Olympia.
Antila studied jazz guitar in Belgium with Peter Hertmans and Philip Catherine and graduated cum laude with a Master of Jazz Music degree from the Royal Conservatory of Ghent. He later continued his studies in New York with leading contemporary jazz guitarists such as Lage Lund and Gilad Hekselman.
