Born: November 16th, 1939, Tampere (Finland)
Died: June 27th, 2013, Jakobstad / Pietarsaari (Finland)
Nationality: Finnish
In due course, the short impression below will be replaced with a more extensive career overview
BIOGRAPHY
Henrik Otto Donner studied the trumpet at the Sibelius Academy, Helsinki, and electronic music at the Siemens-Studio in Munich. He can probably be considered as Finland’s single most important avant-garde composer, having some experimental pieces to his credit, such as ‘Ideogramme I’ (combining the sound of twelve radios with an ensemble consisting of flute, clarinet, trombone, and percussion; 1962) and ‘Street Piece Helsinki’ (1963). Moreover, he worked as a jazz trumpeter, arranger, and composer; he led the group Free For All and worked with influential jazz musicians such as Mauri Antero Numminen and Juhani Aaltonen. Donner regularly composed music for TV programmes and films.
EUROVISION SONG CONTEST
With Jim Pembroke, Henrik Otto Donner composed the 1981 Finnish Eurovision entry ‘Reggae O.K.’ by Rikki Sorsa and also penned the orchestration to it. Because regular Finnish conductor Ossi Runne was the TV commentator for the Finnish viewers in that’s years contest, it was Donner himself who conducted the orchestra in Dublin. One year later, Runne was back as a conductor, but Donner again teamed up with Pembroke to compose the Finnish entry, the much-discussed ‘Nuku pommiin’ by Kojo; again, Donner wrote the arrangement. Whereas ‘Reggae O.K.’ finished 16th, ‘Nuku pommiin’ failed to pick up any points and came 18th and last.
Several years before, in 1975, Donner was the producer of country band Pihasoittajat. When the group won the Finnish Eurovision selection, Donner wrote a tiny orchestration of strings over the band arrangement which was played in the festival final in Stockholm.
EUROVISION INVOLVEMENT YEAR BY YEAR
Country – Finland
Song title – "Old Man Fiddle (Viulu-ukko)"
Rendition – Pihasoittajat (Kim Kuusi / Henrik Bergendahl / Arja Karlsson / Hannu Karlsson / Harry Lindahl / Seppo Sillanpää)
Finnish lyrics – Hannu Karlsson
English lyrics – Arthur Ridgway Spencer
Composition – Kim Kuusi
Studio arrangement – Kim Kuusi
Live orchestration – Henrik Otto Donner
Conductor – Ossi Runne
Score – 7th place (74 votes)
Country – Finland
Song title – "Reggae O.K."
Rendition – Riki Sorsa
Lyrics – Olli Ojala
Composition – Henrik Otto Donner / Jim Pembroke
Studio arrangement – Henrik Otto Donner
Live orchestration – Henrik Otto Donner
Conductor – Henrik Otto Donner
Score – 16th place (27 votes)
Country – Finland
Song title – "Nuku pommiin"
Rendition – Kojo (Timo Kojo)
Lyrics – Juhani 'Juice' Leskinen
Composition – Henrik Otto Donner / Jim Pembroke
Studio arrangement – Henrik Otto Donner
Live orchestration – Henrik Otto Donner
Conductor – Ossi Runne
Score – 18th place (0 votes)
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