Lauri Porra (born 13 December 1977) is a Finnish bass guitarist and a composer who has written scores for films and other media, as well as commissions from orchestras such as the Lahti Symphony and the Finnish Radio Symphony. He is also known for his work as the bass guitarist in
Stratovarius
Stratovarius is a Finnish power metal band that formed in 1985. Since their formation, they have released sixteen studio albums, five DVDs and six live albums. In its history, the band has gone through many chaotic lineup changes, and after fo ...
.
Porra is a fourth generation musician, and the great-grandson of famous Finnish composer
Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius ( ; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and 20th-century classical music, early-modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest com ...
.
Early life
Porra started to study music at age 6 when he started to play
cello
The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...
in a local music school. In 1993 he switched to bass guitar and continued his studies in the Helsinki Pop Jazz Conservatory (1994–2004). He has also taken lessons in piano, double bass, trumpet and male vocals. From 1997 to 1999 he was a member of the YL male choir, performing for instance with the
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...
.
Career
Porra has released five instrumental solo albums, including ''Entropia'' (a collaboration with Lahti Symphony Orchestra), released in January 2018 on BIS-records. He has also composed music for films and other media. His orchestral compositions have been performed by the Finnish Radio Orchestra, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, the Lahti Symphony Orchestra and the New Bedford Symphony His live projects include Lauri Porra Flyover Ensemble, which plays the music from his albums, and the Bach Reimagined project, which performs music based on J.S. Bach's six cello suites arranged and recomposed for electric bass, cello and electronics. Porra has performed in over 50 countries, with performances ranging from
The Proms
The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hal ...
and
Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air (, abbreviated as W:O:A) is a rock music, rock music festival, held annually since 1990 on the first weekend of August in the village of Wacken, Schleswig-Holstein, Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Almost all styles and su ...
to
Pori Jazz
Pori Jazz is a large international jazz festival, held annually during the month of July in the coastal city of Pori (a population of 82,809 in January 2010), Finland. It is one of the oldest and best known jazz festivals in Europe, having bee ...
. As a session musician he has played on over 50 records with styles ranging from heavy metal to contemporary classical, electronic, hip hop and pop albums.
In 2016 Porra received the Nordisk Popularauktors NPU-award and was nominated for a HARPA Nordic film composer music award.
Porra is artistic director of the Vantaa Pops orchestra, Founder and artistic director of Unelmien Heinola festival and was artistic advisor of the Helsinki Festival (2015-2019).
Personal life
Porra is married to conductor
Dalia Stasevska
Dalia Stasevska (born 30 December 1984) is a Finnish conductor. She is currently the principal guest conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and chief conductor of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra.
Biography
Born in Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union, ...
.
Discography
Solo albums
* ''Dust/With Flyover Ensemble
'' (2019)
* ''Entropia/With Lahti Symphony'' (2018)
* ''Flyover'' (2015)
* ''All Children Have Superpowers'' (2008)
* ''Lauri Porra'' (2005)
Orchestral works
* ''Flyover Symphony for ensemble and orchestra'' (2019)
* ''Memento for electric bass and orchestra'' (2019)
* ''Aineen ja ajan messu for orchestra, ensemble and two soloists'' (2017)
* ''Domino suite for orchestra and soloist(s)'' (2017)
* ''Near & Distant for concert band'' (2017)
* ''Kohta for orchestra and vocals'' (2016)
* ''Entropia concerto for orchestra and electric bass'' (2015)
Stratovarius
*2022 ''Live Under The Southern Cross- South America 2019''
*2022 ''Survive''
*2018 ''
Enigma: Intermission 2''
*2016 ''
Best Of
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...
''
*2015 ''
Eternal
Eternal(s) or The Eternal may refer to:
* Eternity, an infinite amount of time, or a timeless state
* Immortality or eternal life
* God, the supreme being, creator deity, and principal object of faith in monotheism
Comics, film and television
* ...
''
*2014 ''Nemesis Days''
*2013 ''
Nemesis
In ancient Greek religion, Nemesis, also called Rhamnousia or Rhamnusia ( grc, Ῥαμνουσία, Rhamnousía, the goddess of Rhamnous), was the goddess who personifies retribution, a central concept in the Greek world view.
Etymology
The n ...
''
*2012 ''Under Flaming Winter Skies (Live In Tampere - The Jörg Michael Farewell Tour)''
*2012 ''Under Flaming Winter Skies: Live in Tampere''
*2011 ''
Elysium
Elysium (, ), otherwise known as the Elysian Fields ( grc, Ἠλύσιον πεδίον, ''Ēlýsion pedíon'') or Elysian Plains, is a conception of the afterlife that developed over time and was maintained by some Greek religious and philos ...
''
*2010 ''Polaris Live''
*2009 ''
Polaris
Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris ( Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an apparent magnitude that ...
''
Film scores
* ''Heavy Trip'' (2018)
* ''Lapland odyssey'' (2017)
* ''Look of a killer'' (2016)
* ''Nuotin vierestä'' (2016)
* ''Hijack gone south'' (2013)
* ''Ratking'' (2012)
* ''Walker'' (2012)
* ''Life for sale'' (2011)
* ''V2: Dead angel'' (2007)
TV-series
* ''Elämää suurempaa'' (2012)
* ''Tappajan näköinen mies'' (2011)
* ''Underworld trilogy'' (2011)
* ''Married to a lie'' (2008)
Selected discography
* ''KXP: IV'' (2019)
* ''JVG: Rata/Raitti'' (2019)
* ''Mikko Hassinen: Elektro GT'' (2015)
* ''Sini Sabotage: 22 m2'' (2013)
* ''Stig: Niks ja Naks'' (2012)
* ''Stratovarius: Nemesis'' (2013)
* ''Crazy World: The return of the clown'' (2012)
* ''Stig: Puumaa mä metsästän'' (2012)
* ''Emma Salokoski: Valoa pimeään'' (2012)
* ''Tuomas Wäinölä: Human being'' (2012)
* ''Kalle Ahola: Pääkallolipuna alla'' (2011)
* ''Asa: Asamasa'' (2011)
* ''Freeman 4'' (2011)
* ''Uusi Fantasia: Heimo'' (2010)
* ''Apocalyptica: Seventh Symphony'' (2010)
* ''Emma Salokoski Ensemble: Veden Alla'' (2008)
* ''Manna: Sister'' (2007)
* ''Guitar Heroes'' (2007)
* ''Kotipelto: Serenity'' (2007)
* ''Edu Falaschi: Almah'' (2006)
* ''Jonna ́s Problem: S/t'' (2006)
* ''Raskaampaa Joulua'' (2006)
* ''Torpedo: Tietä ja vähän bensaa'' (2005)
* ''Warmen: Accept the fact'' (2005)
* ''Ben Granfelt: Live experience'' (2005)
* ''Crazy world: Crazy world'' (2005)
* ''Kriya: Kriya'' (2005)
* ''Raskasta Joulua'' (2004)
* ''Emma Salokoski Ensemble: Kaksi mannerta'' (2005)
* ''Juice Leskinen & Mikko Alatalo: Senaattori ja Boheemi'' (2004)
* ''Peter Lerche: Peshawar diary'' (2004)
* ''Esa Kotilainen: Turpeisen Baari'' (2003)
* ''Emma Salokoski Trio: Puutarhassa'' (2003)
* ''Tunnelvision: Tomorrow'' (2002)
* ''Warmen: Beyond abilities'' (2001)
* ''Ben Granfelt: All I Want To Be'' (2001)
* ''Warmen: unknown Soldier'' (2000)
* ''Tunnelvision: While the world awaits'' (1999)
References
External links
Lauri Porra official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Porra, Lauri
1977 births
Living people
Finnish heavy metal bass guitarists
Stratovarius members
21st-century bass guitarists
Sinergy members
Almah (band) members
Warmen members
Sibelius family