He studied harpsichord and piano from the age of five with Ralf Gothóni and then Eero Heinonen. He studied composition with Einojuhani Rautavaara from 1975. He won the Young Concert Artists International Auditions in 1987 which led to his New York City recital debut at Carnegie Hall.
He has been artistic director of the Korsholm Music Festival in 1988 and the Turku Music Festival from 1990-1992. He is co-founder and director of the Helsinki Festival Orchestra, and has conducted the chamber orchestra Tapiola Sinfonietta since 2003.
He performed the world première of Rodion Shchedrin's Piano Concerto No. 5, for which he was the dedicatee, with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.