The charismatic accordion virtuoso MINNA WEURLANDER was born and raised in Finland and music brought her to Sweden where she is active as a concert accordionist and composer. She is today considered as one of the Europe’s most multifaceted concert accordionists. She works with symphony orchestras, string quartets, contemporary and experimental dance, theater and performance along with film productions. She has also extensive proficiency of leading ensembles and music productions.

Minna appears as an ensemble leader and accordionist in PHILIP GLASS´S new opera CIRCUS DAYS AND NIGHTS. 2016 she formed the ensemble WEURLANDER & DESEO STRING QUARTET followed by album “GLOW” (2020), consisting her compositions and her arrangements of Kurt Weill´s and Saul Cosentino´s music. She is also the film score composer for “THE APE STAR” movie, premiered 2021.

Minna started playing when she was only four years old and att the age of 14 she entered the youth education at Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. She   finished  her solo- education  at Sibelius Academy University of Arts 1997 as one of the youngest accordion mastergraduates.

Minna has also participated of masterclasses with legendary French accordionist  Marcel Azzolla (also known for he´s collaborations with Jacques Brel, Edith Piaf et al.) and pianist  Lina Bosatti, accordonist and compocer Richard Galliano and world-famous Russian accordion virtuoso professor Friedrich Lips.

The public interest for Minna Weurlanders talents rose early. During her education she toured frequently, winning competitions in Finland and abroad, for instance Premio Internationale ASTOR PIAZZOLLA and CIA international accordion world championship. She masters many different kind of music genres and styles. From classics like Bach and Scarlatti to contemporary accordion music, like for example Sofia Gubaidulina´s. From opera to  world music, Tango Nuevo  and Russian contemporary accordion music. Her own  music is  strongly influenced by the Russian and Finnish accordion tradition and of course by the Argentinian contemporary tango. Minna frequently experiments with the accordion’s various sonorities, its percussive qualities and massive sound.

She is also very keen on 19th and 20th centuries organ music. César Frank´s, Louis Vierne´s and Oliver Messiaen´s music appears often in her soloprogramme.

Minna has been working multiple times at Malmö Opera as an accordionist and bandmaster/arranger. During 2012-2013 she was  accordionist in residence at the Opera House. She has written music to several theatre, dance, performance and film producions in Sweden and in Denmark; “Dreyer, The Tyrannical Dane” (Lynch Company DK), “Frida K” (Theatre Sagohuset in Lund), ” The Ape Star” (Leefilm), “RESPECT” (Stillleben DK)…

She´s been working successfully several times as an accordionist and composer with the Danish “one of a kind on the Danish dance and performance scene” Anders Christiansen.

Current productions

• Minna Weurlander-solo accordion
• Weurlander & Deseo String Quartet “GLOW” (new album release 2022)
• Weurlander & Naranjo(pi) with Symphony Orchestra (music by Weurlander-Naranjo)
• Weurlander & Symphony Orchestra, Accordion Concerto(2024)
• TANGO DELIRIUM Sallmander, Weurlander & Deseo, Naranjo
• Finsk Kvinnoorkester-Suomalainen Naisorkesteri
• Duo Naranjo-Weurlander
• CIRCUS DAYS AND NIGHTS by PHILIP GLASS (2023)