Photo: Henryk Kotowski · CC BY-SA 3.0 · credits
Tier 3 · vertical & regional
Maria Kalaniemi
Person · female · Finland · Finland · born 1964 · recording since 1984
Finnish musician
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Also known as Maria Helena Kalaniemi
Timeline
18 events▣ Album 15◦ Birth 1★ Debut release 1✦ Award 1
1960s
1980s
· Debut release
Debut release: Kultaisen harmonikan voittaja
First documented Album in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
Biography
English biography371 words · 5 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1354791807
Biography
Maria Kalaniemi (born 27 May 1964 in Espoo, Finland) is a Finnish accordionist. She was classically trained, gaining her MMus from the Sibelius Academy in 1992, but has become mostly known as a folk musician having played this music from childhood, besides her classical music studies, and also at the folk music department of the Sibelius Academy.
Groups
Ensembles she is or has been involved with are:
Niekku, formed during the years at the Sibelius Academy: before they disbanded, they recorded three albums.
Aldargaz, also formed at the Sibelius Academy including fiddler Arto Järvelä, pianist Timo Alakotila, mandolinist Petri Hakala, guitarist Olli Varis and Tapani Varis. The group made their last recording in 1999.
A duo consisting of her and Timo Alakotila, that recorded the album AmbraAmbraSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Sininen huvimaja4:242Indifference2:383Lappfjärd2:394Oradea4:445Ambra4:036Kangaspelto2:247Kuujärvi3:588Soir de Paris2:369Haudanmaa5:1710On yö ja tähdet taivahalla...7:26.
Maria Kalaniemi Trio, extending the duo with Olli Varis. Both the duo and the trio play traditional tunes, popular Finnish tunes from about the mid-20th century as well as new material by Kalaniemi and Alakotila. The trio released a live CD recorded in Tokyo, Tokyo concert, that partly contains the same tunes as Ambra.
Accordion Tribe, an international accordion group consisting of Kalaniemi, Guy Klucevsek from the United States, Bratko Bibic from Slovenia, Lars Hollmer from Sweden and Otto Lechner from Austria
Unto Tango Orchestra (Tango-Orkesteri Unto) with Pirjo Aittomäki (vocals), Timo Alakotila, Petri Hakala (guitar), Mauno Järvelä (violin) and Hannu Rantanen (double bass). The group was formed to perform at one particular occasion, and later released a CD that outside of Finland is sold as Finnish tango.
Helsinki Melodeon Ladies
Ramunder, a Swedish-speaking project with the singer Anna-Kaisa Liedes and the fiddler Marianne Maans
She has also worked and recorded with the Swedish fiddler Sven Ahlbäck, the popular Finnish singer Katri Helena, the singer/actor/flautist Vesa-Matti Loiri, the Finnish accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen and many others. In 2004, she was the special guest at a concert in London with the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Finnish fiddler group JPP playing duets with Timo Alakotila plus a piece by Alakotila for accordion, orchestra and JPP written for this occasion.
Collaborations
Åkerö, 2011, with Timo Alakotila (Åkerö ÅKERÖCD011)
Also appears on
Beginner's Guide to Scandinavia, 2011 (Nascente/Demon Music Group)
Honours
1997: 3 Years Composer Grant
1996: Prize of Finland
1983: Golden Accordion Competition
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 11 | 61.8th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 15 | 85th |
| Studio albums | 15 | 94.6th |
| Awards recorded | 1 | 89th |
| Timeline events | 18 | 93th |
| Recording span (years) | 42 | 82.7th |
| Genres | 3 | 80.4th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (15 release groups · 15 studio albums)
Albums · 15
1984 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 14 tracks
A1Soittajan kaipuuA2Meripojan polkkaA3Illan hämärtyessäA4Ilta VälimerelläA5Pariisin iltojaA6Musette elämääA7La cumparsitaB1Suomalainen polkkasikermäB2PelimannimietteitäB3Ilta MajviikissaB4HogapolskaB5Valssi VärmlannistaB6ValssiB7Iloiset pelimannit1992 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 11 tracks · 39:56
1Hermannin riili2:502Skymningspolskan3:493Taklax I3:394Samuel Dikströmin polska4:245Olin sairas kun luokseni saavuit6:066Yxi kaunis papillinen polska3:577Farmorspolskan3:578Taklax II1:419Varpusen polska3:1810Hjortingen2:5211Tähdet taivahalla3:232001 · studio album
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Tracklist · 17 tracks · 50:39
1Randas (Dawning)1:402Polska after Johan Erick Taklax3:343Hästpolska (Horsepolska)2:424Sörglåten (Lamentation)3:345Luftstråk (Airbow)2:226Randen (Stripe)5:067Polska after Elias Tallari2:368Miete (Thought)2:019Minuet after Fredrik Fridolf Westin2:2610Orpolasten polska (Orphan Children's Polska)3:3211Nu skall vi gå i skogen (Now We Shall Go Into the Woods)2:1312Luoto (Reef)2:5013Polska after Karl Ragnas2:0714Stigen (Path)2:0215Sprakfålen (Wild Foal)4:2516Tranan (Crane)5:0717Alli2:222001 · studio album
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Tracklist · 10 tracks · 40:09
1Sininen huvimaja4:242Indifference2:383Lappfjärd2:394Oradea4:445Ambra4:036Kangaspelto2:247Kuujärvi3:588Soir de Paris2:369Haudanmaa5:1710On yö ja tähdet taivahalla...7:262003 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 14 tracks · 56:47
1Tähdet meren yllä3:372Pieni sydän3:183Muista minua4:154Avarasylisen naisen laulu4:075Unelmia tuhlaa4:556Preparense5:407L'Accordeoniste5:118Muistathan, Barbara?4:269Ilon kyyneleet3:2910Hiljainen kylätie3:0911Ikävä omia maita4:1012Satumaa3:3513Siks' oon mä suruinen3:3214Täysikuu3:232004 · studio album
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Tracklist · 9 tracks · 43:55
1Ilo3:152Nibe3:453Malviinan laulu5:204Sofias flykt3:025Linnut9:136Skymningspolskan3:527Peninkulma3:168Lyhyt ilo3:499Kurkimaisema8:232005 · studio album
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Tracklist · 9 tracks · 51:11
1Kuun henki3:462Salin hämärissä7:013Niityt ja vainiot5:094Ikkunan äärellä0:385Kevään kurjet5:326Så skimrande var aldrig havet4:507Autio9:348Sade4:319Matka10:102010 · studio album
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Tracklist · 10 tracks · 40:15
1I fjol5:222Vårens väna grönska går (Suvitunnelma)3:033Videpiano4:344De rosor och de blader4:415Under fullmånen (Täysikuu)3:326Magdalena på källebro4:317Cirkus 21:448Vilda rosor5:469Sven i Rosengård4:4310Jeppo (Grannas bastun)2:192011 · studio album
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Tracklist · 14 tracks · 41:41
1Åkerö5:122Syyssoitto1:133Koskaan et muuttua saa4:474Kaipaus4:285Viola2:386Yötuulet2:557Kohti Pispalaa4:068Trädet2:089Grönbacka2:4310Kengo-Antas vals2:0611Ta in hiid in fiol1:3112Vaiennut viulu3:4713Silta1:2114Soittajan kaipuu2:462014 · studio album
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Tracklist · 9 tracks · 44:47
1Petalaxpolska4:202En kärlekssaga5:403Jungfrun i hindhamn7:264Edla-Sofia3:155Sålunda menuett7:356Den bortsålda6:487Ungdomsplantor2:548Skålvisa3:259Under bar himmel = taivasalla3:242017 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 11 tracks · 43:34
1Kom alla mina bröder = Come All My Brothers4:202Liljan (Liljankukka) = Lily4:223Svalan = Swallow3:194Sumu = Fog2:395Housutango = Trousers Tango5:156Med ängslan4:577Jepu3:008Sångtrast = Song Thrush1:399Där sitter en fågel3:5710Susi = Wolf6:4711Salonkylä3:192018 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks
1Seimiyö2Varpunen jouluaamuna3Maria, Herran piikanen4Valo5Breath of Heaven6The Little Road Tho Betlehem7Heinillä härkien kaukalon8Blessings9Me käymme joulun viettohon10Enkelijää11Nyt syttyy valot tuhannet2018 · studio album
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Tracklist · 9 tracks · 35:56
1Björnklo3:572Ta din tid4:233Marionettdansen3:184Till allt som är för nära4:545Främlingen är jag3:106Den som jag en gång var3:277Du vet3:508Sång till love2:539Ett band som tiden vävt6:042020 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 7 tracks · 37:04
1Erämorsian = Wildwood Bride3:592Suden tuutu = Wolf's Lullaby4:223Tulten Poiga = Flame Boy5:014Lohtulaulu = Song Of Solace4:525Metsähanhet = Woodland Geese6:036Vaellus = Walkabout7:067Pilvet = Clouds5:412026 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 11 tracks · 31:46
1Sångarstenen4:572Gäddans klang2:163Jubel2:034Skogens släkte5:095Gråtkväde3:216Tåreporten2:297Hymn1:588Tårepärlan1:299Knipan3:3310Maanitus3:3311Archaica0:58
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put Maria Kalaniemi head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 11 | 61.8th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 15 | 85th |
| Studio albums | 15 | 94.6th |
| Awards recorded | 1 | 89th |
| Timeline events | 18 | 93th |
| Recording span (years) | 42 | 82.7th |
| Genres | 3 | 80.4th |
Awards & honours
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Knight First Class of the Order of the Lion of Finland | won |
Line-up
| Name | From | To | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helsingin Kaksrivisnaiset(band) | — | present | |
| Accordion Tribe(band) | — | present | |
| Niekku(band) | — | present | |
| Millennial Fair(band) | — | present | |
| Ramunder(band) | — | present | |
| Maria Kalaniemi Quartet(band) | — | present | accordion,lead vocals,original |
| Luftstråk(band) | — | present | |
| Meiskarit(band) | 1976 | present | accordion,original |
| Maria Kalaniemi & Aldargaz(band) | 1993 | present | original |
| Maria Kalaniemi Trio(band) | 2001 | present | original |
Where this record comes from
portrait—Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MariaKalaniemi20110926B.jpgaliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/e7690ab6-3c3e-4425-a790-9e805440e4bfdiscography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/e7690ab6-3c3e-4425-a790-9e805440e4bfcore—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4348311genre—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4348311seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Kalaniemibiography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Kalaniemi
Why this artist is in the database
- List of Finnish musicians — rank #17
Maria Kalaniemi | 1964 | | Accordionist | Folk
- List of folk musicians
Tier rule: curated genre/region list
Image: Henryk Kotowski · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata: Q4348311 · MusicBrainz: e7690ab6-3c3e-4425-a790-9e805440e4bf
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