Despite his relatively young age, Luukas Hiltunen (b. 1996), a composer living in Pirkanmaa, has achieved both national and international prominence. After graduating as a professional musician from Lahti Conservatory in May 2018, Hiltunen started his specialization in music pedagogy with a focus on composition at Tampere University of Applied Sciences in September 2019, graduating with excellent grades in June 2023. From September 2023 onwards, Hiltunen has been working as a freelance composer and arranger.

In 2021, Hiltunen signed a publishing contract with the Viennese music publisher Universal Edition. Hiltunen’s works have also been published by Edition Wilhelm Hansen in Copenhagen and Fennica Gehrman Oy in Helsinki. He has collaborated with the Chamber Orchestra of Lapland, Vivo Symphony Orchestra, Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Saimaa Sinfonietta and the Ruovesi Chamber Music Festival.

In 2021, the Pro Musica Foundation awarded Hiltunen a composition scholarship to support his promising artistic career. In 2023, Hiltunen was selected as Young Composer of the Mikkeli Music Festival 2024, together with conductor Aliisa Naige Barrière, who was selected as Young Artist. He also received a grant to complete his two-movement reconstruction of the unfinished Symphony No. 6 in C major by Felix Mendelssohn – the project was completed in November 2023 and published by Universal Edition in early 2024.